Home security is something that none of us take lightly. Our houses aren’t just homes to our possessions, they’re where we keep our memories, where our family lives, where we feel safest and where we long to return to after a hard day’s work. As such, you can imagine just how devastating a home break in can be. The bond of trust between your home and you is suddenly broken, somebody could be hiding around any corner and nothing seems quite as safe as it once did. This is the reality for millions of people around the globe who have been burgled, but there are ways to help ensure a burglar never considers your home a worthwhile target.
The most common mistake people make when protecting their home is the assumption that home security systems are about catching a burglar in the act. Of course, if your home is being broken in to, capturing that is important, but the most important thing is ensuring they never approach your home in the first place. How? By convincing them your home isn’t a worthwhile target.
Popular culture would have you believe that the burglar stalks a home for weeks, searching out an ingress and waiting for the perfect moment to slip into your home undetected. Well, the truth of the matter is somewhat different. Nearly all burglaries are opportunistic acts of desperation, and as such, a little dissuasion goes a very long way indeed. At its most basic, this means ensuring your home is well lit. As you might well expect, a darkened doorway and an unlit garden make for an appealing point of entry for a thief, so installing a small light above your doorway and a motion activated light pointing at your front and back gardens will effectively ward off any potential thieves, who now see your house as a much greater risk than it once was.
Security cameras are also an excellent choice. Though they cost a little more than a basic lighting system, the advantages of a CCTV system are manyfold. Aside from acting as an excellent deterrent, they provide useful footage should your home be burglarized which can help catch and get a conviction against the person who did broke into your home. The most modern security cameras can also wirelessly stream their footage to your smart devices, lending an added sense of security when you’re away from your home.
With these two very basic security systems in place, your home suddenly looks like a much less appealing place to steal from, offering the double threat of being seen by neighbours and being caught on camera. With entire streets of these systems, a community could free itself from the fear of theft and grow closer together.