How can you deter thieves without security systems?
Question:ADT is very expensive to get for your house, like $1000 to install and $50 a month after for service. Is there a cheaper way to keep robbers away and prevent your house from getting broken into?
Answers:
"a sticker that alerts fire department on a few windows and doors that " we own a dog" - Hopefully you actually own a dog, I would hate to see a firefighter risk their life looking for a non-existant dog.
I wrote an article about 10 years ago and it stills applies today, some has been touched on above other not as much. Here is abit of it, the whole thing can be found at http://www.keepsafesystems.ca section protection 101
As far as the 50 bucks per month. You may want to check around abit, the standard industry rate is 25. There are some companies that are lower but you should be weary of anyone who goes to low as you may not be getting the service you deserve, don't go with ADT just because their commercials tell you they are the best, ask around you may be surprised to find a local comany that will give you a far better level of service.
Protecting your valuables from the unsavoury arms of bandits starts from the outside in. Here are a few suggestions that may assist you in making your home less appealing to the darker side of society.
Since most break-ins are crimes of opportunity, following are some helpful tips on how to decrease the perception of opportunity:
o Ensure your yard is well lit and keep Shrubberies around windows and other potential entry points trimmed. Crooks are less likely to attempt to break in if there is a high risk of being seen.
o When on vacation, have a neighbour or friend pick up your mail, leave a few lights in your home on timers, and if possible have someone come in occasionally to make your home look “alive”. If possible, have someone park a vehicle in your driveway for the time you are away. To reduce the risk of being caught, most Burglars do stake out their targets. Make everything as unpredictable as possible to potential intruders.
o Do not advertise the purchase of “high ticket” items by putting the boxes outside in open view. Break the boxes down and bring them to the nearest neighbourhood recycle bin.
o Keep ladders and garbage bins hidden as they provide burglars with easy access to higher windows.
You should also look around your home, from the outside and closely examine the possible ways an intruder could infiltrate your home and consider ways to make forced entry as difficult as possible.
o Check to see whether your windows or sliding doors can be removed from the outside. Some older style aluminum frame windows can be lifted out of their frames while the window is still closed. Later models included a security feature that prevented the window from being lifted out unless it was open. Screws placed in the window frame, above the window are an inexpensive way of accomplishing this.
o Ensure that your windows and sliding doors cannot be forced open. Many factory standard latches fall short of effectively preventing forced entry.
o Install dead bolts in all your external doors.
o Consider small windows inside or beside entry doors as an easy way to break in and unlock dead bolts. Ensure dead bolts are out of reach from these windows.
o Strengthen doors and doorframes around dead bolts.
o Install longer screws in door hinges.
o If the hinges are on the outside of the door, ensure they cannot be removed easily.
o Protect rarely used basement and back doors from forced Entry by installing an anti-ramming bar across the inside of the door.
o Consider security window film or window bars on high-risk windows.
Look through the interior of your home and consider possible entry points in relation to the location of your valuables. Keep in mind, crooks
o Keep Computers stereo's and all other “high ticket” items away from windows that can be easily accessed or viewed from outside the home.
o Keep all jewelry and money hidden, wall and floor safes are ideal for this, mattresses and dresser drawers are not.
o You may also wish to secure computers, fax machines and printers to the floors or desks on which they are placed.
nine-pellet buckshot in a pump-action shotgun seems to work for me!
One popular way to keep thieves away involves ownership of an aggressive pet. Although if the thief is good with animals, it may not be the best option. And this guard system has a tendency to poop on things.
Another method is to be at home all the time while holding a shotgun, but this requires a lot of commitment, and some independent source of income (although a spouse may stand in for you).
Another is to always have a car parked in front of your house and to always have the music and a couple lights on, although this increases electric bills a bit.
Then again, if you're good at stage props and such, you could make your house look like it has a security system, which can be a deterrent as well.
get switches that turns off and on lights. a sticker that alerts fire department on a few windows and doors that " we own a dog", get to know your neighbours.leave on tv on,better door locks
Cut the brush down around your house. Install extra lights at all doors and use them all night. Don't let the papers pile up or the grass get long, it looks like you are gone. Try not to be too predictable as to when you are not at home. This would give thieves a time table as to when to break in. Buy a "loudmouth" alarm system. It goes off when someone breaks in and makes a lot of noise outside and inside( you want one that has speakers inside and outside ) and will usually scare thieves away even though they just broke in. Talk to neighbors, and if you find any concerned about home security, agree to keep watch on each other's house and write down license plate numbers of strange cars. I am going to be sterotypical for a moment, not going to be PC, the best thing to have is that "nosey neighbor" who sees everything, befriend them and ask them to watch.
don't give anyone a reason to want to rob your house. don't advertise what you have. don't leave boxes from purchases on your curb for the trash, don't leave garage open, if i see a sign that says i have an alarm, i think they must have something work taking. you can install lots of lights, make sure all side yards have locked gates, nothing to block view from street of your windows or doors. get those sensors that make lots of noise if the seal is broken, like windows or doors. put a motion sensor on your sprinkler system, if someone comes to your house, the sprinkler comes on and blasts them with water. NOT to be used on mailmen please. you can also plant low growing very very spikey plants under windows, crown of thorns, bouganvilla, and firethorn are a few spikey plants. oh and of course if one house has a dog and one doesn't , which one would you pick?
most break ins are targets of opportunity. Make sure your doors, and windows are always locked. You can also buy a home alarm fairly cheaply, install it yourself. A loud alarm going off, when someone tries to get in, tends to deter thieves
Put a security sign in your yard and window even if you don't have a security system installed.
Lights with a motion sensor in the front and back yards are inexpensive.
If you need a security sign, you can still one in the middle of the night from someone with a security system that doesn't have lights on motion sensors.
Just trying to make a good point!
GIT A COUPLE OF DAWGS! RUFF!
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