It’s always a scary thought that someone might break into your home whether you are there or not. So what should you do? Hopefully you already have an alarm and other security measures for your home. There are some things you can do if you are home and someone breaks in, and things you can do before and/or after an intruder breaks in.

You should have a plan set in place before anything happens. If you have children, go over the plan again and again and maybe even practice it a few times. This plan can be anything that you feel will keep your family safe. Perhaps you have a two story house and everyone sleeps upstairs, then you may decide you want a safe room that is big enough for everyone to fit in. A safe room can be anything from a closet, bathroom, bedroom, or any other room that you find will do. Make sure that the space you choose has secure locks, like a deadbolt, that only unlock from the inside. You can keep an electrical outlet with a cell phone charger so you can take your cell phone in with you and call the cops.

When you call the cops, tell them as much information as you can about the situation. Let them know how many people there are, if they are robbing you or are there for a different reason, if you think they have a weapon and what kind, and where you and your family are in the house. Keep the dispatcher on the line as long as possible so they can hear what all is going on. If the intruder doesn’t know where you are, don’t give away your position by saying you have called the police or have a weapon.

If you do have a weapon in case they find you, use it to escape and not with the intent of fatal harm. Before anything like this happens, check to see what your state finds acceptable in the event of an intruder as far as what you can do in self defense. Some states allow you to kill an intruder if you believe they are a threat to your life. Try to avoid any violent actions against the intruder as long as possible. You can try to convince them that you will cooperate with them if they don’t harm you. In most cases, it is within the first 30 seconds that the tone is set with an intruder. If you try to cooperate and stay as calm and peaceful as possible, they may choose not to be violent. If they do, do everything in your power to escape. Most states offer courses about how to properly mace or pepper spray in the event that someone attacks you or breaks in.

There are some things you can do to help prevent a break in. You can have someone install a security system that will alert the police if it goes off. Most intruders flee when they hear the alarm go off, and if not, the police should be there shortly. Set up motion sensor lights out side, this may spook them and prevent them from breaking in. You can also set up motion sensor cameras just in case they do break in, you can get them on film that will hopefully help police catch the intruder. Talk to your insurance company to see what they cover in the event of an intruder in your home. Also, look at the laws for your city and state to find out what rights you have to protect you, your family, and your home if an intruder breaks in.

People will not stop in trying to make their homes a secured dwelling place for themselves and their loved ones. Likewise, homeowners wish that all the time, their precious possessions are kept safe from intruders and other man-made hazards such as fires. That is why prudent owners will always look at alternatives to ensure safety and security for their houses and places of business.

One of the measures usually undertaken by owners is to put up house security systems. At the moment, there is a profusion of company websites offering these services and publicizing benefits and features of their products. Thus, it may seem difficult to find an impartial review of a home alarm system these days since these advertisements are run by firms selling the products.

One particular aspect that residents need to watch out for regarding house security systems are the prescribed standards. It often happens that reviews depend on obsolete criteria, are prejudiced against competitors or are veering towards a particular user or location. On the contrary, the appraisal must be current and contain relevant information, integrate user-feedback and comments in the assessments, and keep track of developments in the security industry. This is one way to find out which company or organization is the best security system provider. It should also reveal the companies present status, their offerings and how their system functions. The comparison with the competition and the system’s configuration according to specific needs must also be indicated.

Here are some vital aspects given by security experts regarding house security systems and the home alarm system. Consider the kind of service that customers will be happy with. Their advice is that satisfied customers are likely to become repeat customers. It is advisable to keep away from companies that stick to “close the sale” techniques to obtain business. The pricing structures can be baffling. There are instant fees, installation costs, monthly monitoring fees, accessory fees, and even potential cancellation payments. Find a pricing structure that presents all the costs immediately and contains no hidden costs.

There should ideally be a money back guarantee. An honest alarm company should offer at least a 30-day money back guarantee if the client is not satisfied with the product for any reason. There must also be a reimbursement of shipping costs must not be saddled with re-stocking charges. The security sector has been offering the same types of home alarm system products for so many years. What then is the negative consequence? Thieves have managed to circumvent these systems. Therefore, it is important to choose one with cutting edge technology. The interactive monitoring option that allows homeowners to watch their houses through the Internet, cellular phones or other gadgets is the perfect option. This will not only give customers peace of mind but real protection as well. Cellular tracking or monitoring is also equally crucial in making a choice since this affords safety and reliability. However, it is expensive to install and maintain. These criteria should serve as guide to homeowners, who at some time or another, will need to purchase such kind of contemporary security equipment.

A lot of homeowners feel that surveillance cameras are only for businesses. They feel that there’s no need for them since they’re only used to monitor customers and employees. Besides, it’s not as if their homes are going to get robbed. That’s probably what they’re thinking. But you’ve seen those TV shows wherein robbers are caught on surveillance cameras, right?

Surveillance Cameras can Help Protect your Home

You have to know that you can also use them to protect your home. This is especially true if you’re a woman. Here are some ways on how they can help protect you and your home:

· It can deter crime.

You have to know that most of the time, robbers and other criminals choose the easiest victim. Sure, your home has locks. But let’s say that a couple of robbers are looking at two houses and one is yours. The other house has surveillance cameras in strategic places while yours do not. Which house do you think they’ll rob? You know the answer.

· It can solve crimes.

Let’s say that a robber is stupid enough to rob your home filled with surveillance cameras. Solving the crime is just a matter of playing back the videos captured by the cameras. The robber’s face will be plastered all over the 6 o’clock news and it’s just a matter of time before he’s caught.

· You can monitor the people outside your home.

Opportunistic criminals will knock on your door first just to see the insides of your home. He’ll also check how many people are inside and if he can take advantage of them. If he sees that you’re a woman and you’re alone, he can easily overpower you. But if you have a camera placed above your door, you can check him out first to see if it’s safe to open the door or not. Besides, he won’t go through with his plans once he sees that he’s already been captured on video.

· It’s a good addition to your levels of security.

Home security is about adding as many security levels as possible. Locks are a given but they can easily be picked. Adding a dog is a good option. Placing surveillance cameras in strategic locations makes it better.

It’s now quite obvious that surveillance cameras are very important not just for businesses, but also for homes. If you value your home and everyone and everything inside of it, you will install them. Besides, it can also give you peace of mind which is priceless.

It is no secret that the best way to learn something is to learn from the best. It doesn’t matter what you’re learning-a new skill, a new language, a new job-absolutely anything. Always learn that skill from someone who really knows what they’re doing.

In this case we are talking about burglary prevention as part of home security. And who better to learn it from than a professional burglar. Recently, a man who was believed to have done as many as 70 home burglaries made a list of tips to prevent burglary for police to pass on to home owners. He was caught in the United Kingdom but the principles are the same here.

Here are some statistics that might get your attention. One out of every six homes is burglarized. A burglary happens every 15 seconds. The value of goods stolen from a home in the average home burglary is over $1700 with an average of another $1700 in damage done to the home during the burglary.

So it’s much better to prevent home burglary in the first place. The old idea of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure really holds true for home burglary.

Here are some of the burglary prevention tips that he gave so homeowners could avoid being burglarized.

First, he never used force to gain entry into a house. And why should he? Here in the United States close to 90% of all burglaries happen through unlocked doors or windows. So lock your doors and windows, even if you are home.

Second, he suggested getting a dog or at least a sign warning of a dog. He told police that burglars will not risk entry into a house if they hear a barking dog. Maybe that’s where the Barking Dog Alarm could come in handy.

Third, he suggested getting an alarm. This professional burglar said he would never enter a home that’s got an alarm.

Fourth he said to leave the lights on when away from the house. He told police that he always avoided well-lit homes. He suggested to homeowners that motion activated spotlights or motion activated lights were a great idea.

Next, he told police that a security camera, even a fake one, was enough to make burglars choose another house.

As a final tip, he indicated that he always avoided walkways, driveways, patios that were pebbled because walking across them was always very noisy and gave him away.

These are outstanding home security tips from someone who really knows what he is talking about. If you implemented these home security measures, you could prevent burglaries and make your home and your family much safer. Burglary prevention tips from a pro really help.

A lot of homeowners make the mistake of just “winging it” when it comes to their home’s security system. They just put together whatever security system that they find since they’re under the impression that more is better when it comes to security. This is true in a way. After all, adding several layers of security should be the first thing that you do when modifying your home security system. Just make sure to take these things into consideration:

Cost

While it’s true that security systems are relatively cheap especially considering what they can do, they can add up if you buy several of them. So when modifying your security system, make sure to take costs into consideration. How can you do this?

· Go to a reliable provider.

It’s a good idea to deal with a single provider for all your home security needs. You can save a lot of money this way. Besides, a reliable provider can provide you with systems that work. That alone can save you a lot of money.

· Focus on effective systems.

When adding security levels, make sure that they’re effective. Two effective levels are much better than ten weak ones. Besides, a weak level can be the chink in your home’s armor. Of course, you can keep adding effective levels. Just make sure to keep your budget into consideration.

· Add unexpected levels.

While a robber expects surveillance cameras all over businesses, he wouldn’t really expect that a mid-sized home has them. He’ll panic as soon as he sees the cameras and he’ll get out of there as quickly as he can.

Coverage

It doesn’t make sense securing your home’s lower level if the windows on the 2nd floor are unsecured. Make sure that all possible entry points are covered. On that note, make sure that there are no blind spots around your home. Place surveillance cameras in strategic locations and make sure that they’re pointed in such a way that you’ll have eyes in every inch of your home and the areas around it. This is especially true if you’re a woman. This way, you can be at peace knowing that no one’s watching you.

Technology

Criminals are catching up with the old technologies in home security. This is why it’s important to update your systems as well. A good provider has the latest gadgets and systems so make sure to check them out. Technology is always improving so you might as well take advantage of it.

Take these things into consideration when modifying your home security system and you can have peace of mind knowing that you and your family are protected.