Home invasion robberies are a growing problem in the United States. A home Invasion robbery is simply when a criminal decides to break into a home using force while the residents are at home . In many cases, these individuals will simply ring the doorbell, and then force their way into the residence when the front door is opened. What makes these robberies dangerous is that they happen with the homeowners at home.Usually burglars will only target empty homes. The fact that the home is occupied means that we are no longer simply looking at a property crime, we now are facing the possibility of a physical assault, including rape, and in some instances even murders have been known to happen.
There are many different techniques and strategies you can use to protect yourself from this type of crime. This article will review some of what i feel are the most effective ways to protect your home and family from these predators.
Your first step in protecting your home has to be the doors, and not just the front door, but all exterior doors. By properly reinforcing and securing your doors,you can prevent a burglar from using his favorite entry method, which is to simply force open a weak, or poorly constructed door. Keep in mind that simply reinforcing your doors will not by itself stop a home invasion robbery, but what you have done is taken away one of these criminals favorite entry points, and made your home a much harder target.
You can make your doors even more secure by replacing your current hollow core wooden doors with solid wooden doors, or if your budget permits a steel frame home security door. You should also make sure that the hinges for the door are facing inside your home, not facing the street. What is the point of having a expensive security door, with state of the art deadbolt lock-set, if the door can simply be unhinged using a hammer and screwdriver.
You should also consider installing a door brace. These are nothing more than high strength pieces of steel about three feet in length . They are designed to be attached somewhere around the middle of your door and the floor, and they prevent the door from being kicked open, or forced inwards.
For less than thirty dollars per door, you can ad a layer of home security that will stop even the most determined burglar. Keep in mind that a door brace is not intended to make your home a fortress, but like all good security devices, it will give you time to react to the threat and asses your options. If someone can simply kick in your door and get to you before you can call 911, they are in control. A door brace tips the odds back in your favor.
You should also avoid assuming that your home is completely secure just because you have a home security system installed. A good monitored security system is just another layer of protection between you and the bad guys.If you assume your home is completely secure, you will likely fail to pick up on some weakness in your defense.
One example of this oversight would be a home that is secured on the main floor with contact alarms, and motion detectors, but what about the second floor of your home? What is to prevent a burglar from simply borrowing that ladder you have laying next to the garage and climbing in through a unprotected second floor window.
Outdoor security lighting systems is a very effective preventative measure when it comes to protecting the perimeter of your home. Burglars love homes that are surrounded in darkness. A criminal about to commit a home invasion may be many things, but stupid is not one of them. They would prefer not spending the next five years in jail because you or your neighbors called the police about the three strange men hanging around your yard.
Make sure that your windows can be locked in the partially opened position. Many burglars make their entrances by simply opening the window from the outside, and climbing through. They can easily do this when a window does not have a mechanism stopping the window from opening all of the way, or has a way of keeping the window securely locked.
If your budget allows there is a very effective way of securing your windows. First your window should have a magnetic contact alarm. These are just complete electrical circuits that will sound an alarm when the circuit is broken…ie, the window is opened. But there are clever burglars who will just break the glass to gain entry. To defend against this you should also have a glass break detector installed.
Along with all of these security and safety measures, you should also inform everyone in your home about the importance of not opening doors to strangers, and of keeping exterior doors locked.And if you have an alarm system, USE IT. By installing all these security features around your home, and also teaching everyone in your family about the importance of home security, you can be certain that your home is protected from home invasions and you can also rest easily at night knowing that your family is safe.
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