I’ve always considered “home security” to
be a misleading phrase. In truth, the
greatest elements of your home security aren’t always located within your home.
It isn’t necessarily the equipment that helps detect criminals encroaching on your
property, and neither is it the reinforcements and upgrades that might prevent
burglars from breaking and entering into your property. Don’t get me wrong –
those tools can be immensely helpful when a criminal has selected your
property. However, I think we can all agree that the best element of a home’s
defense is what makes your home being targeted in the first place.
This benefit to a home’s security is called deterrence, and it is perhaps the most important aspect to your home defense – and you can influence it in several ways.
Boosting Your Deterrence
There are a few practical steps that any
homeowner can take to make sure that their home is well-guarded. Here are a few
additions to your home that can make the difference and deter people from your
home:
Besides their functionality, home security systems or signage indicating
that an alarm exists can help keep out unwanted visitors.
· 1. When this equipment
isn’t affordable or obtainable, equipping false cameras or signage can help
nonetheless.
· 2. Keeping a guard dog, or simply erecting signage that a dog
exists (i.e. “BEWARE DOG!”) can scare the wits out of people who might
otherwise consider targeting your home.
· 3. Joining or starting a neighborhood watch program can make a
huge impact on crime awareness and deterrence in your neighborhood. FBI
statistics indicate that it could make an impact of up to 40% in reducing crime
in your area.
· 4. Keep an eye on foreclosed or abandoned homes, since these
can quickly become dens of illegal activity when left unmonitored.
5. Finally, homeowners can make a great splash
in their neighborhood crime rate by something that we might take for granted.
In fact, simply maintaining your yard and keeping your home in good repair and
nice appearances can, and does, reduce the incidence of crime in your area.
This might seem unusual, considering most means of deterrence are based on fear
and an increased difficulty of trespassing undetected. But despite how odd it
may sound, the “broken windows” in your neighborhood should be addressed to
positively influence crime around your home. Still skeptical?
No More “Broken Windows”
Now consider this: how do you
think this theory applies to your city? Your neighborhood? Your home? When a
property is left damaged with wear and the lawn grows wild with age, criminals
doubtlessly become more interested in targeting it as opposed to
well-maintained neighbors.
Naomi Broderick is
a stay-at-home mother and prepper enthusiast.
Thanks Naomi for an excellent guest post.
Staying
above the water line!
Riverwalker
6 comments:
Big +1 on broken windows theory. The house next door has been unoccupied for nearly a year, and coupled with a public park across the street, a prime location for people looking for a place to crash. Its been broken in 3 times during that period (front door kicked in) and we call the police as soon as possible to get it looked after.
For us, installing commercial quality steel doors and frames (NOT home store type - the heavy gauge systems, about $1500 per unit) and grouting them into the masonry wall material is a major deterrent. Good hardware (hinges / locksets) as well. Can be breached but will take a lot of time - just easier to move along to easier pickings.
Not to mention the wall of lead coming at the intruders from a pissed off homeowner.
If you are there to 'greet them' :^) The doors and clerestory windows (should have mentioned that above) are measures taken for when we are out of the house during the day.
Clerestory windows (high window near ceiling) are awesome. Not only does outside light spill across ceiling to light room interior better, furnishings are easier to place and the interior is screened from anyone viewing below the window sill. Often not allowed by building code in sleeping areas (hard to evacuate in case of fire). Great privacy though.
And if non operable window is wanted, glass block is easy to install in openings. Grouted with concrete in place, much harder to break into.
"BEWARE DOG"? That sounds like a warning to dogs! I'd put up a sign that says "BEWARE OF DOG," or "BEWARE CRIMINALS." :)
I agree that keeping a home well-maintained is a good way to deter any would-be robberies. If they see that everything's in order, they'd likely think that it'll take more effort to break into a home.
I agree that simple things can be done to make it
look like you have more security then you
actually do. Guard dogs, or even yapping watch
dogs are a great deterrent as well. I think a
great last resort option for home safety would be
a safe room. A safe room provides protection from
home invasions, severe weather and other
unforeseen events. They provide an excellent
place to store irreplaceable objects like family
heirlooms and photographs. These safe rooms found
here: http://www.risingsbunkers.com/saferooms/
can be installed discretely. They only use their
employees through the whole process so you do not
have to be concerned with local contractors
knowing about your secret location. They can also
build the safe rooms to fit seamlessly into your
home so no one would know it was there, even if
they were standing right in front of it.
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