Making the Most of Your Burglar Alarm October 9th, 2014

Best practices for using a burglar alarm, from Texas home security experts.

The trauma of a home invasion is something people often don’t understand until they’ve lived through it. Feeling the violation of your personal space is unnerving; walking through your home after a break-in, you can see the disregard a stranger had for belongings that you handle with care and pride.

Whether you have gone through this experience already or seek to avoid it altogether, one of the first prevention ideas many people have is to install a home security system. While there are a number of ways to deter break-ins, installation of a burglar alarm remains one of the top methods.

While the simple presence of a burglar alarm is a good first step, there are several key factors that can amplify the power of these security systems to protect your home.

Signage

Alarms and monitoring services are designed to trigger police response and attract attention from neighbors, but the first line of defense is still prevention. And in order for a criminal to be aware of your burglar alarm, you have to tell them about it!

Place signs and stickers near exterior doors and ground-floor windows that offer easy access to your home. Make sure you update these with new collateral that the company sends to you; tattered, peeling signs may cast doubt on whether you still have a system in place.

Always Turn it On

This seems like a no-brainer but many people only arm their burglar alarms occasionally, often at non-peak times for home invasions. Evening seems like a more dangerous time, and often people are more aware of home security when they are at home and physically at risk.

However, most break-ins occur in daytime hours when no one is home. With little chance of a homeowner walking in the door in the middle of the day, criminals can take their time searching every drawer and hiding space. For a burglar alarm to be truly effective, it should be armed every time you leave the house (and set for exterior-only when you turn in for the night).

Professional Installation and Monitoring

When shopping for a burglar alarm, homeowners will inevitably come across a do-it-yourself option. These may seem like an attractive way to protect your home and save money. But an incorrectly installed and non-operational security system is not going to be very useful. This is something best left to certified professionals. And with Fortress Security offering free installation and activation, the cost isn’t really an issue in the first place.

__________________________________________

Selecting a Texas Burglar Alarm Provider

While it’s true that crime across the state is on the decline, this is an incremental trend. For instance, the rate of burglaries statewide decreased between 2012 and 2013 by just a little over 8 percent. With figures reflecting burglaries per 100,000 residents, the statistics show it’s still not wise to leave your house unprotected.

Texas Crime Rates

Burglaries

2010: 911.8
2011: 839.4
2012: 786.6
2013: 720.5

Robberies

2010: 130.7
2011: 110.6
2012: 116.6
2013: 120.4

(Source: Texas Department of Public Safety)

Residents of Houston and the Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth Metroplex are candidates for professionally installed burglar alarms from Fortress Security. Using top-of-the line Honeywell equipment and 4G wireless monitoring, our burglar alarms are combined with Smart Home technology to give you full access to control of your home while you’re away.

Texas residents: Contact us to get a quote for a burglar alarms, fully customized to meet both your home security and home automation needs!

Facebook

Twitter

Posted in: Home Security Systems » by: Jerrod