We’ve all heard the stories, read the police logs and watched Law & Order SVU: Women and children are prime targets for any attacker. This doesn’t mean that women should bulk up and start training for the heavyweight Olympics – it just means families should consider taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves. One of the simplest and most basic ways a family can do this is by updating their home security system.
Massachusetts resident Chelsea White was 17 when she walked into her house, and for the first time, realized something was wrong.
“I came home from school and got a call from my mom asking if I had taken her computer,” Chelsea explained. “I hadn’t, and it was then that we both realized we had been robbed during the day.”
Chelsea is a resident on the North Shore, one of the safest areas to live in Massachusetts.
“I got this horrible feeling of violation. It was very strange knowing someone had been in your house and had gone through your things. They had gone through my drawers, my mom jewelry box and my brother’s closet,” she added.
Reported incidents of violent crime decreased in all four regions of the country in 2010. However, reported incidents of burglary rose 3.9 percent; Chelsea’s family being one of them.
Buying a security system is the safest way to prevent any unwelcomed guests into your home. In fact, intruders look for homes without alarm systems. Unfortunately, one of the two reasons homeowners consider purchasing a home security system is because they already experienced a robbery or break-in.
Don’t wait and let this happen to you and your family.
A standard residential alarm system includes: control panels, security keypads, motion detectors, door and window contacts, glass break sensors, sirens and signs.
Additional features include: backup system, two-way monitoring, remote control and more.
Leave Fido Out of It
Homeowners often consider purchasing a dog for home security. Although effective, a guard dog is not the best idea for a “family” environment. For example, in the unfortunate event that a break-in does occur and your security dog saves the day, if the dog got injured or was killed, how would you explain to your children that it was just doing it’s “job.”
Such was almost the case for Chelsea’s family.
“We had 2 dogs, two Golden Retrievers,” Chelsea said. “We think one of our dogs, Rockie, was hit by one of the robbers based on his behavior after that day.”
To Chelsea and her family, realizing that her pets were traumatized was more upsetting than finding out that the robber stole her mother’s laptop, brother’s Xbox and over 50 videogames.
Most families would agree that a pet is considered “part of the family.”
The price of safety
If you do decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you research the best home security companies out there.
Typically, a home security alarm system includes an installation fee ($100 to $1,500), and a monthly monitoring contract ($9 to $40). Other charges depend on the particular plan or package you choose.
Money is always an issue, especially in today’s economy. However, because of today’s economy, people are also getting more desperate and resort to crime. Protecting your family should be priceless.
About the author: Sylvia Rosen is an online writer with a background in newspaper journalism. She enjoys writing about dating, family patterns, and healthy and happy lifestyles.