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Custom Fitting A Home Security System

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There is no such thing as one size fits all. Today, we have more variety and choice than in the first 1950 years of modernity combined. Why? Because we want it! Transportation fueled by oil and gasoline along with big box retailers and suburbia all transformed life as we know it and choice became an option.

My ADT Pulse system is no different. When the sales person showed me my options, it was like I was 10 years old and he was Santa and I was able to go right in his big red bag of tricks and pick out all the stuff that had been on my list since I was 5!

You wouldn’t think one would get all giddy about a home security system but this is not just home security. It’s home automation that secures your home. We walked through my home and he asked me all kinds of pertinent questions about our comings and goings to help decide on what options would suit us and secure us best.

We discussed all the light switches that I’d want replaced with home automation to be able to turn on remotely and have set to go on when we came home or timed to give the impression we were home when we weren’t.

Next  was all the areas of the home I wanted to install surveillance cameras that would allow me to record and drop in on sections of the house while I’m traveling or even home.

Most importantly, we went through a whole process of thinking like a burglar and determined all the vulnerable areas of the home that needed sensors on doors and windows such as motion and glass break. For me, that was the funniest part. Thinking like a burglar is necessary to prevent a burglar from getting in.

You’d be amazed at the lengths a burglar will go through to get in. And, scaling a 3 story porch and busting through a door or window on a ledge is a welcome challenge for a burglar. I’ve got that covered!

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston

Top 5 Home Burglary Prevention Reminders

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Imagine coming home seeing your side door open and some of your stuff on the ground. You wonder what’s happening and think maybe your stupid irresponsible roommate dropped something. But as you look closer the door is smashed and inside the house looks disheveled. Then the sinking feeling of “I’ve been burglarized” sets in. That’s was me.

It was the early 90’s and I had bought my first home at 20 years old. It was a “3 decker” and me and a few friends lived on the first floor and I rented out the rest. It was more of a “frat house” than it was a home. We even gutted a refrigerator and had a keg on tap 24/7/365. Then one night we had a few people over, and they brought a few people we weren’t familiar with.

After an evening of being stupid we headed to bed. Next morning to work. After work reality set in. When I saw what happened, I immediately knew who did it. It was one of the friends of the friend that came to my flat the night before.

Being the “take things in my own hands” 20 years old I was, I went to this person’s house with the police and recovered my stuff. Right after that, I got a home security system.

#1 Secure entrance ways: Burglars often go right through your back or front door. They first ring the bell or knock on the door to see if you’re home, and if you don’t answer they jiggle the doorknob. Lock your doors. Sometimes if the door is locked they will use a crowbar to force it open. Install solid core doors that can’t easily be compromised. Install heavy deadbolts that go deep into the jam with 3-4 inch screws that go into the door’s frame. For sliding glass doors, install an additional wooden dowel preventing the door from being opened from the outside. Make sure your home security alarm has open door sensors.

#2 Windows: When a burglar encounters a locked door they may look for unlocked windows. Lock your windows. As an extra layer of security install a wooden dowel on top of the window to prevent it from being opened. Install window film that prevents the glass from being broken. Install glass break sensors to compliment your home security system.

#3 Lighting: Lighting on the exterior is an effective way to keep the bad guy away. The benefit of additional lighting helps your neighbors to see suspicious activity at night. Include timers on indoor light to give your home that lived in look.

#4 Home Security Systems: Most people install a home alarm after the home is burglarized. Don’t wait to be a victim of crime before you smarten up.

#5 Security cameras: Compliment your alarm with surveillance cameras. I didn’t get cameras until they were affordable. If I had got them years ago, it would have saved a lot of heartache. Today they are inexpensive and easy to install.

Oh, and what happened to the guy who broke into my house? He was arrested and was in and out of jail for the next 15 years. Last time I saw him was when he was on the front page of the Boston Globe because he had cut a woman’s head off.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover

Preventing False Alarms

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If you have a home security system, you know the pain associated with false alarms. I have set this thing off at least a 100 times and then I have to run like a gazelle to the keypad to shut it off then wait for alarm central to call me so I can give them a PIN.

Many, if not all of us are guilty of setting off our alarms accidentally. Sometimes we open a door or window that sets it off, other times we mess up the secret code. The result of this mishap is usually a very loud siren and the attention of your neighbors. If you don’t call to cancel in time, then it results in law enforcement showing up.

In many counties, towns, cities and states there are laws and ordinances that impose a fine for false alarms.

1. Have your service provider set up your home alarm system to call your mobile phone first, then your home phone second. If you don’t answer the phone, then, they will call the police.

2. Program your mobile phone with your alarm service provider’s number and call them the second you falsely set off your alarm. Memorize your PIN so you aren’t fumbling for it.

3. Don’t carry your PIN in your wallet. If your wallet is lost or stolen, your address and alarm PIN is in the hands of a stranger.

4. Whenever you are setting up any access for anyone to enter your home while you are gone, your risks for false alarms go up dramatically. Provide specific hands on instruction on how to disable and reset the alarm. Telling someone over the phone how to do it is often insufficient.

5. With the new ADT Pulse system there are 5 ways to turn off the system including a wired keypad, touchpad, iPhone app, remote control and a PC. I have different devices strategically placed throughout the house, so I can easily set and deactivate whenever needed.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.

Robbers Put Gun To Baby’s Head During Home Invasion

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WOW!!!!! Like the baby is going to cause any threat to the pig home invaders.

This happened in Pee Dee which is a region of South Carolina in the northeastern corner of the state. “Pee Dee” who knew? Seems it was named after an Indian tribe. Makes sense.

Anyway CarolinaLive.com reports: “Just before 3 a.m. on a Friday, a woman says she heard someone knocking at her front and back doors to her apartment. According to police, the woman cracked open the door and that’s when four masked, armed men forced their way inside. They made the woman and her baby lie on the floor.  At one point, the robbers put a gun to the baby’s head.

The men demanded money and the woman’s purse. The robbers then put a gun to another woman in the home who was upstairs. They stole $10 from a glass vase and left.”

10 bucks. That’s $2.50 each for the masked invaders. They can each by a bag of Munchos and a Snickers.

Rule #1:  You tell your kids not to talk to strangers; therefore, do not open your door to a total stranger, especially at 3 AM and ESPECIALLY IF HE IS WITH 3 OTHER GUYS WEARING MASKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Rule #2:  You are better off not answering the door at all, keeping the doors locked as they should be and call the police especially at 3AM!!!

Rule #3:  If you have a home security system (which you should) you can always set off the panic alarm in this instance and a call will be made to the police department along with a blaring siren that may deter the masked invaders.

Rule #4:  Learn from this incident. It is much better to learn from others mishaps than to learn from your own.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

13 Year Old Hides Under Bed During A Boston Burglary

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The Boston Globe reports: The girl sent a text message to her father, said Police, and then called the police as she hid under her bed while the unidentified man stole three laptops, a large amount of change estimated at about $500, an iPod, and possibly some jewelry.

“The little girl did a fantastic job staying calm and calling us, letting us know what was going on, we had direct communication with her.’’

She must have watched this video of me on Montel saying that exact thing!

“The man had gained entry by kicking the side door of the two-story home off its hinges, and by the time they responded, the suspect had fled,” police said. “The intruder never knew the girl, who was not injured, was under the bed,” police believe.

First, never leave a 13 year old home alone. Maybe a 13 year old is perfectly capable, but still, that doesn’t work for me. If it’s legal in your state to have a 13 year old home alone, then at least discuss home security tips, which in this case maybe someone did. She did well by hiding and making the call with her mobile.

At least install a home security system with home security cameras as another layer of protection with signage outside. Do you think a sign outside that denoted the house was alarmed would have helped? If it did, I bet the guy would not have broken in.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Montel Williams.

Home Invaders Face The Death Penalty

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There is no shortage of news reports clear across the country on home invasions. States like New Hampshire are responding by including home invasion as a qualifier for the death penalty.

Couple pistol-whipped during Tulsa home invasion

Oklahoma: “A husband and wife were pistol-whipped early Saturday during a home invasion robbery. Three males in their teens wearing masks and gloves broke into the home at about 1 a.m. and demanded money. “When the victims told them they did not have any money, they were pistol whipped.” The robbers left with a big-screen television, a cell phone and cash.”

LI couple victims of terrifying home invasion

New York: “A Long Island family was the victim of a terrifying home invasion, which had echoes of the horrific Connecticut home invasion-turned-triple murder. Two intruders, one carrying a gun, forced their way into the family’s home. The couple was bound and blindfolded with tape.”

Man killed in phoenix home invasion

Arizona: “A man has been killed in a Phoenix home invasion. When officers arrived, they found a man, in his 30s, dead inside the home from an apparent gunshot wound. His mother and nephew were also in the home but were not hurt. An unknown man forced his way into the home and shot the victim while inside. He then fled the neighborhood in a vehicle.”

Home invasion bill expands death penalty

New Hampshire: “A bill that would expand the state’s death penalty to include individuals convicted of “heinous” crimes like the 2009 home invasion that left a mother, 42, dead and her daughter severely injured.”The governor has always been supportive of the death penalty in particularly heinous crimes.”The governor feels people have a right to feel safe in their own homes, and expanding the death penalty bill to apply to these cases could act as a deterrent.”

Regardless of the politics of this issue, I’ve never felt a “penalty” or the law is a deterrent against a crime of violence. Violent crimes are committed because the perpetrators are mentally ill or predators by nature. Consequence is of little concern to these types. A deterrent is a home security system, signage and home security cameras.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

Reducing The Devastation Of A House Fire

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If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? Of course it does. If your smoke detectors go off and you’re not home will your house burn down? Maybe.

Houses burn down when a fire apparatus doesn’t get to the home soon enough to put the fire out.

The most important aspect of any fire is protecting life and limb. The stuff inside and the structure itself doesn’t matter when it comes to human life. But when people lose all their stuff in a fire, it is still very hard, and to some, devastating.

If you lose all your mementos, clothes, photos and all the items that make life comfortable, it can take 1-2 years or more to adjust and get back on your feet.

Fortunately, today’s home security systems can also be equipped with fire alarms that prompt a dispatcher to call the fire department ASAP.

Messenger Post reports “Carol Miller, an emergency dispatch operator at ADT’s Henrietta facility, was notified that the fire alarm in a customer’s home had been activated. She immediately called the local fire department, which responded to the fire and was able to contain the damage to the kitchen.”

The homeowner was quoted saying “I don’t see how they could have done a better job because Carol Miller and the dispatchers saved everything,” “My life as I know it would have been completely done… I can’t wrap my mind around what would have happened. My whole house would’ve burned down.”

Burglars steal your stuff in small increments. They go after high value electronics or jewelry. Fire steals everything including lives. Consider a home security system that incorporates smoke detectors that alert a dispatcher, thereby increasing fire apparatus response time.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Security on NBC Boston.

Is It A Home Invasion Or A Burglary?

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There has been lots of media attention on home invasions due to their frequency and the brutality that accompanies them.

A home invasion is much like a bank robbery when the robbers use force to get what they want. Robbery as defined in Wikipedia is the crime of seizing property through violence or intimidation. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear. Robbery differs from simple theft, a break-in or burglary on its use of violence and intimidation.

Burglary on the other hand generally involves criminals who prefer the home is without occupants. They may impulsively enter a neighborhood and seek out homes that are dark, no car in the driveway, mail piled up and the doors and windows are left unsecured.

Often they will case a certain home and determine the specifics of when the resident is gone. Often they will make an effort to get a phone number of the home by getting the family name from a placard on the side of the house or from information in the mailbox.

In both situations proper security can reduce risk. In my home the home security system is always on. This means whether home or not, any unlawful intrusion is met with a piecing alarm and an automatic call to the police.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing  home invasions on the Gordon Elliot Show.

The Decades Top 6 Stupid Criminals

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The decade was filled with stupid criminals.  Here is a list of the top six stupid criminals.

Lawn Mower Getaway: AOL reports Sheriff’s deputies in Florida were searching a house for stolen property when they got a tip that one of the suspects was trying to make his escape nearby, according to TampaBay.com. Officers reportedly found him not far from his home attempting to flee on a ride-on mower.

Black Marker Burglars: The key to a successful robbery is not getting caught. These two clowns decided to use permanent marker as makeup.

I’ve Been Looking For That! Guy gets pulled over for a minor traffic violation and cops find pot in the car. Also in the trunk, cops discovered a bong inside a plastic shopping bag. Excited, the criminal thanked law enforcement officials for finding the water pipe, which he purchased for $150 and assumed a roommate, had stolen when he couldn’t find it.

MySpace Burglar: Kid breaks into a home and logs into the family’s home PC to his MySpace page. When he realized he was seen in the home he fled, forgetting to LOG OUT!!!!!!!!!

Stupid Facebook Status: Thief siphons $200,000 from a bank. Lives it up in Mexico, brags all day on Facebook, friends a Department of Justice Official, now he is rotting in a Mexican jail That’s dumb.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston.

Home Invasion Victim Shot With His Own Gun

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Years ago, I appeared on the Maury Povich show to discuss weaponry. The producers called me to discuss a show they had in mind where the shows subjects were those facing jail time or in jail because they killed their attackers.

In each case, it was their word against a dead mans. Some of the subjects were victims of domestic violence where others were victims of home invasions or stalking. The producers asked me what the subjects could have done differently so they wouldn’t be facing jail time. My response was “use non-lethal weapons” opposed to lethal such as guns or knives.

While I believed this was (and still is) a sensible alternative, I was booed and ridiculed. Even Maury thought my suggestion was poor. I further suggested placing non-lethal weapons like pepper spray strategically throughout the home as a layer of defense. Again, I was ridiculed. It’s not that I’m anti-gun, it was, and is an alternative. Another option.

I know that you don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. I understand non-lethal doesn’t always work. I get that people love their guns. I also know that when you kill someone it’s your word against a dead mans and facing life in prison is an option even when you shoot and kill an intruder in your own home.

Plus, there is always the chance that the same weapon can be used against you.

The New York Times reports that a “New York man suffered a bullet wound to his leg after being shot with his own gun during a struggle with an intruder when a man entered his home through an unlocked door around 9:30 a.m. The homeowner grabbed a .22-caliber rifle and confronted the intruder. Police say the two men got into a struggle, during which the gun went off, striking the homeowner in the lower leg. The intruder stole property from the home and fled.”

Call me crazy, but first, have a home security system that helps prevent the home invader from getting in. And while I’m sure there are plenty of stories that involve the homeowner shooting a killing the home invader, there are as many where the homeowner was shot with his own gun. What do you think?

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing Home Invasions on Maury Povich.