If you have been the victim of rape, burglary or fire, or know someone who has, you understand the need for a home burglar alarm.  If not, then this page is for you!  Have you cut back your shrubs, and added motion detector hooks to lights outside your home?

Home Burglar Alarms Protect your Family

The primary reason for a home burglar alarm system is to protect your home from theft and burglary. Get a home burglar alarm, with a monitored burglar alarm solution today.   Republished from National Safety Counsel - Ten ways to prevent a burglary

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, in the United States a home is burglarized every 12-14 seconds. In fact, one in every 10 homes will be burglarized this year.  Do you need a burglar alarm system?  Do you live in neighborhood with more than 10 houses?  Chances are you know someone in your own neighborhood who has been a victim of a burglary.  Ask them what monitored burglar alarm solution they chose, AFTER they were robbed.  Why not take a pro-active measure and get yours BEFORE you need a home alarm system?

 Good News for Homeowners with Burglar Alarm Systems

Homes with burglar alarm systems and reliable home burglar alarms are three times less likely to be broken into than unarmed homes.  You can also save money on your homeowners insurance.

Isn't it time you protected your family with a burglar alarm system? Compare prices for burglar alarm systems today. 

 Protect Yourself and Your Family from a Burglary

"Most people only think of home security after a burglary," says Michael Bruening, executive director of the Burglary Prevention Council. "But there are many inexpensive measures that can deter potential intruders."

According to FBI statistics, only one in four home burglaries involves forced entry. Most burglars enter homes through an open door or window.

For a systematic approach to home security, work from the outside in. That is, start by considering the exterior features of your home. Then think about what to do with interior items.

1. Think like a burglar

 Pretend you're a burglar who's scoping out your neighborhood. Look for any feature of your property that offers opportunities to an intruder. For example, a ladder left outdoors offers potential access to second-floor windows. Leaving your garage door open while you do yard work can also tempt criminals.

2. Landscape for security

 Design your yard with security in mind. Arrange sight lines so neighbors can see into your yard. A solid fence promotes privacy but makes it easier for criminals to work undetected. Consider a chain link fence instead.

Utilize the 3-foot/6-foot rule, a police officer with the Community Crime Prevention program in Minneapolis recommends. Trim tree branches up to 6 feet off the ground and trim your shrubs down to 3 feet. This creates a "window effect" into your yard and minimizes hiding places for burglars.

3. Add outdoor lighting

 Make sure all potential entry points to your house are well-lit. These points include doors, windows on the main floor and basement windows.

Regular incandescent lights mounted on a wall or pole work well for many homeowners. Or install high-pressure sodium lights or mercury vapor lights. Both are energy efficient and illuminate a larger area than incandescent bulbs.

Other options include photoelectric lights that provide automatic lighting after dark, and motion detector lights that click on when their sensors detect nearby activity.

4. Install solid doors

 Check your exterior doors. Those made of solid metal or wood offer the most security. If you can push a straight pin into the door without much effort, the core is hollow. A skilled burglar could easily kick in this door. Replace it with a solid door. Also, consider replacing any door with a lot of glass on it.

 5. Install deadbolt locks

 Next, consider door locks. Deadbolt locks offer the greatest protection. They come in two types: A single-cylinder deadbolt operates with a key from the outside and a thumb turn from the inside. Double-cylinder deadbolts operate with keys from both sides. Deadbolts with double cylinders offer an advantage when there's glass in or near a door. If burglars break the glass to enter your home, they won't be able to turn the deadbolt with their hand to open the door.

6. Secure your windows

 Window locks offer an inexpensive way to deter burglars. When installed on double-hung windows (those that slide up and down), these locks work only when the window is completely closed. With other types of windows, you can mount locks on the corners or sides. These locks add security when the windows are partially open. However, make sure family members can open the windows easily incase of an emergency.

Window pinning (inserting a pin or nail above a window so it can't be opened) or track fillers (such as a wooden pole placed into the track of the window) are the least expensive ways to secure double hung windows.

7. Consider a burglar alarm

If burglars go to a block and find three houses with alarm systems and three without, you can guess which homes they'll hit.  Even a burglar alarm notification sign is often enough deterrence to force the burglar to the next victim.

Alarm systems can benefit homeowners who live in isolated areas or spend long periods away from home. People who keep many valuables at home or live in high-crime areas should also consider burglar alarms.

Even so, alarms are no cure-all. No alarm system can replace hard security in your windows and doors .

8. Burglar-proof your possessions

Consider engraving any valuable items with a personally assigned Operation ID number. Operation ID is a nationally sponsored program for identifying stolen property. Contact your local police department to sign up for a number.

You can also engrave your social security number or driver's license number on your property. Store these items away from windows and doors.  But with the high rate of identity theft, using your SSN may not be such a good idea in these days and times.

When you buy expensive items -- such as computers, audio equipment or big-screen televisions -- don't leave their boxes on your curb. Break up the boxes and store them inside until your next garbage collection day.

9. Change your habits

 Even locks and alarm systems are wasted when they go unused. Home security means adopting effective habits, as well as adding hardware to your home. For example:

Lock windows and doors every night. Before talking to a stranger who comes to your door, ask for identification. Supervise people who repair appliances or read meters in your home. When children answer the door, have them say, "My parents are busy," rather than "My parents aren't home." When you leave for vacation, make your home look occupied. Install timers on indoor lights. Instead of stopping your mail or paper service, ask a trusted neighbor to pick it up for you. Keep a car parked in the driveway. Arrange for someone to shovel snow or mow your yard. Close your blinds or curtains at night or when you're not home. This minimizes a criminal's opportunity to "shop around." Never put your home address on your luggage when you're traveling. This alerts people that your home may be empty. Put a business address instead.

 10. Organize!

 Form a block club with neighbors and agree to keep an eye on each other's property. Ask people to call 9-1-1 when they see suspicious activity or crimes in progress. Remember that block clubs are not just for people who own single-family dwellings. People in apartments, town home complexes and condominiums can also become eyes and ears for each other.

[reprinted from NSC]