How to Stop Burglaries With Home Security Systems

It is a most unwelcome surprise: coming home from a day’s work, having put in eight or ten hours on the job, to open the front door and see a year’s worth of purchases gone or missing.

More than 2.5 million home intrusions are reported every year in the United States. In 2013, it was estimated that the losses from all reported property crimes totaled $16.6 billion. And the most difficult part: Police only solve about 13% of all reported burglaries mostly due to a lack of witnesses or physical evidence.

There are some cities where crime may be a bigger factor than others. Detroit, Memphis, Baltimore…these cities may imply that an individual be more cautious. But for many, regardless of city, it is possible that it could have been prevented.

According to one statistic, home without security or alarm systems are up to 300% more likely to be broken into. And 85% of police officials surveyed believed that home monitoring systems help deter burglary attempts. Further still, some insurance providers offer discounts up to 20% when a home security system is installed.

Security systems can range from a standard system to one that has more features and elements to guard against burglary. One of these types of systems that is often used, particularly within ADT security, is the basic alarm. This system has a 24-hour alarm monitoring, as well as door and window sensors. The ADT security system also has an infrared motion detector. All of these combine to catch burglars when you are not away.

Some security systems double as video surveillance systems, wherein if someone bypasses the standard system of alarms, it is still possible to catch him or her on video surveillance to help the police make an arrest in this case. It is expected that 12 million home automations systems are expected to be installed by 2016.

For some quick statistics about how burglars enter a home or behave:

• Most burglaries take place between 10am and 3pm.
• An astonishing 34% of burglars enter through the front door.
• About 61% of burglars are committed by forcible entry.
• 9 out of 10 burglars avoid homes with alarm systems and said if they did encounter an alarm, they would not attack the home.

Security systems such as the ADT security basics package can start as low as $9 per month. There are perks to moving up to other packages as well: Some offer an arm/disarm option remotely, web and mobile access, or email and text alert notifications. Choosing the right security system, whether it be a major company like ADT security or a smaller one, is important for your needs.

An important question to ask yourself when you are preparing to search for your first security system is what types of features do you need and whether those features will certainly help you to stave off burglary attempts. A quick Google search can help significantly to determine which system is right for you.