Your home is your fortress and a place where you share fond memories with your loved ones. It’s where your children play, learn and feel safe. It is also where you may keep prized possessions and assets that hold value to you and your family, however with that comes a risk. Where there are valuables there’s an opportunity for criminals to make a quick payday. Setting aside the feelings of loss you would all be feeling from losing such personal items, what happens afterwards can be truly upsetting. In a report by Allianz from 2016, it states:
“it takes about eight months for burglary victims to feel safe in their homes again.Less than half of them ever feel completely secure. Some become obsessed with home security, while others live in constant fear of being robbed again. For one in 10, the impact is so extreme that they decide to move.”
For most families, moving home is not an option and doesn’t provide any guarantees of being safe. Also, nobody wants to be obsessed with home security, so what can we do? Retrospectively installing security is certainly a good step, however the best thing for your family is to never have been burgled in the first place. This article is designed for those who would like to secure their home. It is for those who might not know what Alarm device or devices are available on the market and what to choose? It can be a minefield so we want to help you simplify the process and get your home under protection.
The types of thieves we may encounter?
Before we go deep into the exploration of the types of Alarm device you might consider for your home security, we shall take a look at the two main types of thief. These are Opportunist and Professional thieves.
Opportunist thieves are those who aren’t planning to commit a crime, but those who spot an opportunity to exploit a weakness in someone else for their own gain. These types of criminals are considered amateur thieves; they spot an open door, window or garage and take advantage of the carelessness of the homeowner who may have left home without realising their mistake. They are the kind of criminal who will act on the spur of the moment and take what they can get. Another scenario in which you’d find the opportunist criminal is in car theft, or more specifically, the theft of items from inside of your car or van.
What can you do to defend yourself against the opportunist thief?
- Do not leave items on show in vehicles
- Make sure you close all windows and doors when you leave the home, and keep doors shut even when you are at home
- Keep valuables hidden, away from windows and doorways
- Have clear signage and a security system that acts as a visible deterrent
- An automated lighting system
Professional thieves are another story. They will monitor your movements, know exactly what it is they are looking for, and know where to find it. They’ll know when you’re least likely to be at home, and are prepared to be violent if disturbed or disrupted. But as a professional thief, they’ll be aware of the risk and will do everything they can to alleviate risks.
How can you protect yourself against a professional thief?
- Having a visible security Alarm device or system and CCTV cameras strategically placed is a great start and will likely put off the professional thief
- An automated lighting system
- Do not keep valuables at home or at the very least keep them locked away in a safe
- Do not keep valuables in your vehicle and ensure the vehicle has a tracker and clear signage stating this fact
- Consider a guard dog, dogs make great companions but also put off any thieves who might be planning to steal from you
5 Types of Alarm Device you should consider when securing your home
1. Intruder Alarm
An intruder alarm is an Alarm device that should be your top priority. A well designed intruder alarm serves multiple functions:
- Acts as a visual deterrent
- Acts as an audible deterrent
- Alerts the homeowner of a potential intruder even whilst they are away from home (not all alarms do this)
- Notifies a Central Monitoring Station so they can verify and request police attendance when required
2. CCTV
A CCTV system usually consists of cameras, and a way to record and play back footage. Today however, we have systems that can be triggered by an Alarm device like a sensor to take snapshots of activity and send them directly to the homeowners mobile device for review. We can also gain remote access to our live camera feeds and footage via said mobile device, meaning you can monitor your own home wherever you are in the world. A CCTV serves not only as a way to monitor the home, but it acts as a deterrent to those opportunist thieves who might otherwise take that walk down your driveway and snatch your valuables from an open door/window.
3. Intercom
An Intercom system, whilst technically not an Alarm device, does alert the homeowner to the presence of anyone approaching the home. When installed at a driveway gate or a doorway, an access control system can give the homeowner visual and audible communication with those wishing to gain entry to a property. It enables you to vet any potential visitors before they come inside. Smart intercoms provide that additional value of being able to remotely communicate to the visitors. You can give users members unique and time/date restricted entry codes and some will even tie into a smart home system.
4. Smart Electronic Locks
Electronic locks are an extremely useful tool, especially for gated homes. They give the homeowner the power to open and close their door from anywhere in the world, via the press of a button on their mobile device or via an internal keypad. Most commonly used on automated gates, electronic locks can also be applied to the front door. The likes of Yale have been producing smart electronic locks for years, and the global market for smart locks seems to be consistently growing. The biggest key (no pun intended) benefit of a smart lock is that, if like in an earlier example you forget to lock your door, you can retrospectively lock it via your mobile device. This can be done anywhere in the world as long as you are connected to the internet.
5. Security Lighting
The last Alarm device you will want to consider is automated security lighting. This is especially useful at night and will catch any prospective criminal off guard when they get too close to your property. This can be off-putting and will likely discourage them from completing their dishonourable mission. Most criminals like to remain in the dark, so shed some light on them and watch them scarper!
That concludes the 5 types of Alarm device you should buy to secure your home. We hope this information is useful to you and wish you the best of luck with securing your home.
If you would like more information about a particular Alarm device, or would like some help with your security systems we would be happy to help you. Contact us for a free consultation and visit CommandAV.co.uk to see what other services we offer.