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25 Home Security Tips

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Yes, 25 tips, because that’s how we roll. No home security tip is too trite. They are all important, especially when used all at once, all the time.3B

  1. Keep shrubs and trees manicured so that burglars can’t hide near them.
  2. Do a door and lock inventory to make sure they all work.
  3. The only time a door should be unlocked is when someone is using it.
  4. The only time a window should be unlocked is when it’s open while you’re home, and even then, be extremely judicious about this, including for second-story windows that can be climbed up to.
  5. Make sure nobody can see inside your windows at night, and be choosy about which drapes to leave open during the day, especially if you have expensive items that can be viewed through windows.
  6. Have a smoke alarm and check it periodically; run fire drills for the entire family.
  7. When gone, leave a light on; better yet, use a timed lighting system. Also put the TV on.
  8. Have a carbon monoxide detector and check it periodically.
  9. Make sure your security alarm system properly works.
  10. Consider having a “secret” room, also known as a “panic” room built.
  11. Keep your phone by the bed. Mobile phone is best.
  12. Install motion detectors inside and outside.
  13. Install video surveillance and check it periodically.
  14. Never leave packages outside your door, sign up for delivery notices.
  15. Make sure that all windows have your security company’s decals stuck on them; place the company’s sign on your lawn.
  16. While traveling, have mail and newspaper delivery postponed or picked up by a friend.
  17. Never go inside your house if you think it’s been broken into while you were gone.
  18. Protect your windows with penetration-proof film.
  19. Use a peephole on all doors that can’t be reversed by an outsider.
  20. Don’t leave ladders outside unless you’re using them.
  21. Put Charlie bars on all the window tracks.
  22. When traveling for long stretches, arrange to have someone mow your lawn and park their car in your driveway.
  23. Get a beware of dog sign even if you don’t have a dog.
  24. Go to an Army/Navy store and get paid of men’s boots, put them near your front or back door.
  25. Get a big dog food bowl. Place it near your front door.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

What kind of Home Security System is right for Me

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Burglars don’t usually depend upon the light of the moon to break into homes; they depend on the daylight—because that’s when they know most homes are empty! The kids are in school, the adults are at jobs or shopping…duhhh, even a halfwit burglar knows this is an opportune time!

4HTherefore, you should get a home security system that’s designed to repel robbers in both the dead of day, not just night. This includes while you’re home. And when you are home, a burglary turns into a “home Invasion” which often turns deadly.

  • You may be sick in bed.
  • You may be home telecommuting.
  • Or maybe you have a weekday off.
  • Maybe you work a night shift and you’re home during the day.
  • Are your kids home by themselves after school?
  • Is Gramps there by himself?
  • Do you travel frequently?
  • Figure it all out and then investigate which home security system fits your lifestyle.

A home security system isn’t just the alarm that shrieks when someone tries to break in. It can be a pendant that Gramps wears in case he falls. It could be remote monitoring of your latchkey kids.

A representative from a reputable home security company can answer all of your questions, such as how to make access to the control panel easy for kids and the elderly, while remaining hard to find by an intruder.

You’ll probably learn a lot of what the most state-of-the-art system can do—things you wouldn’t necessarily know that a security system is capable of, such as a text message triggered by the system’s sensors—indicating that something anomalous is occurring at your house, such as a window being broken or a gas or water leak.

You’ll also learn how to be smart about your system, such as making windows exceedingly difficult for an intruder to get through, including those you’d think were too small to matter.

If you have a garage, that requires yet another layer of security. An intruder may get in via a window, then get into the garage from the internal door that connects it to the house. He opens the garage and begins loading his van which is parked in the driveway, whistling nonchalantly while neighbors don’t suspect a thing.

For optimizing your security options, you should consult with experts from well-known companies and read reviews from current customers to determine which options, features, benefits, bells and whistles are most appropriate for you.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Town sees Big Spike in Burglaries

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Why are so many burglaries hounding the town of Los Altos in California? There were 79 reported in 2013, but 118 for 2014. This past January and February there were 36. At that rate, by Christmas 2015, it’s unthinkable what the total number of burglaries will be.

1HIn a report on mercurynews.com, the Los Altos police chief, Tuck Younis, is quoted as saying, “It sickens me, as the one who is responsible to keep the city safe, that’s occurring. It sickens every member of our department that’s occurring, especially at the volume that is occurring in our city.”

He spoke this to an assembly of over 200 town residents. Chief Younis added that the number of burglaries is “unprecedented.” In fact, the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountainview—neighbors to Los Altos—have also been stung. And not just by local thieves, but thieves from all over.

Chief Younis speculates that a prison realignment is responsible for the spike in burglaries; convicts are getting released sooner.

And these burglars are going after hard-to-trace loot like jewelry and cash, rather than iPhones and video games. And they’ve been hitting homes both during the day and in the middle of the night.

The police have reassured residents that they are doing everything possible to break this spike up, and that there’s even been some arrests. Nevertheless, residents were instructed to be extra alert and not to hold back from reporting any suspicious activity.

Residents should also beef up their home security as well as take non-techy measures to make their homes unappealing to burglars. Being aware of the little things will make a difference, such as not letting newspapers collect in the driveway because you haven’t felt like getting the paper for a few days and not letting the lawn become overgrown—signs to a burglar that nobody’s been home for a while.

Keeping windows and doors locked at all times, using a deadbolt on doors and Charlie bars on windows, and keeping lights on will also help repel burglars. You can even get semi-techy by installing a fake video camera above the front door that a thief won’t miss—this is a good deterrent to the bad guys.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Paralyzed Home Invasion Victim speaks

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If a home invasion doesn’t leave you dead, it might leave you permanently paralyzed, like it did Richard Potorski, who was shot two years ago and can’t move from the chest down.

On January 8, 2013, Potorski went to his Maine home for lunch after work. Moments later he saw a gun pointing at him; it went off. He played dead—which wasn’t hard to do because his spinal cord had been severed—until his wife found him 90 minutes later.

Potorski says he doesn’t know the shooter, and even though he has a misdemeanor drug charge on his record, he was not involved with any drug deals with the shooter—Ronald Bauer, who received a 30-year prison sentence.

It’s a myth that most burglaries occur at night. Gee, night is when most people are home. Most people are gone during the day at work. Burglars know that. What if Potorski had had a security system on that fateful day? This isn’t a blame-the-victim mentality; it’s a very fair question.

Imagine Bauer trying to gain entrance and a screaming alarm sounds. He would have fled like a bat out of hell. Or suppose there was no alarm system, but the door had a top-of-the-line deadbolt and reinforcement system, and the locked windows all had Charlie bars and penetration-proof film. Bauer wanted to get in quick without attracting attention. Why would a burglar want to be seen spending 20 minutes trying to break into a house? Yep, it’s a very fair question.

Evaluate your lifestyle so that you can have an idea of what kind of security system will best suit you. For example, if you’re away a lot, or even only from 8:00 to 5:00, you’ll need a remote monitoring system.

Today’s systems are really cool in that you can even receive e-mails and texts about variables that the system detects. You can even see what’s going on with real-time surveillance transmitted to your phone.

Imagine that someone breaks in while you’re exiting your worksite to go home for lunch, and you get the alert on your phone. You connect and see some druggie trashing your place looking for cash. You won’t get shot by him. We live in a cruel world and need to be prepared.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

It’s a Security System and More

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WARNING: Removing this video surveillance camera to kill evidence of your robbery will do you chickenfeed because the video of you is being stored in the cloud!

2WToday’s security systems are so much more evolved than they were 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.

We’ve all heard of the bright light that goes on over the garage when someone steps onto the driveway. That’s so old that some burglars aren’t miffed by this in the least. However…such a motion detection system can also trigger video surveillance and notify the police. And there’s so much more that today’s security technology can do:

  • Send an alert to your smartphone that something anomalous has been detected inside your house; you can then view the interior in real time where this detection occurred, even if you’re across the country. Don’t be surprised if in the future, the homeowner could—with a single tap of a smartphone key—activate a net from the ceiling to deploy and engulf an intruder, holding him till the cops come. I WANT THAT.
  • Even if you live in a virtually crime-free neighborhood and have no valuables…you can still be endangered by non-human threats like gas leaks, fires and trip-and-fall hazards in dark areas with triggered lighting. A home security system can protect you from these variables.
  • Burglars aren’t fooled by the constant light that’s on to make it seem like you’re home when you’re not. However, security systems can create a pattern of on-and-off light use when you’re away, simulating that someone’s actually home.
  • If you still have an old-fashioned wireful security system, it’s time to switch to wireless. Wireless eliminates the possibility of a burglar cutting the wires. Furthermore, a wireless system can include a small remote that can activate and deactivate the system, like when you want to go outside at night with the dog to do its business.

If you were to ask 1,000 home burglary and invasion victims, “Did you think the crime could ever happen to YOU?” What do you think they’d all say? Stop making excuses and get a home security system if you already don’t have one.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Home Automation in your Security System

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Having a house run like the Jetsons’ is becoming increasingly possible: It’s called home automation. If you’re not familiar with the futuristic cartoon family, the Jetsons, just about everything in their house was automated. Today, we can have the following:
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  • Sensors that make noise when a door or window opens are nothing new, but real-time video surveillance of a home’s interior and exterior, viewed remotely through a smartphone thousands of miles away, is relatively new technology.
  • Controlling the temperature inside the house from anywhere outside using a phone. The smartphone connects with the thermostat’s sensors that detect radio frequency signals.
  • Odorless but deadly, carbon monoxide gas will be detected by a detector—and this has been around for a long time, but what’s relatively new is that the detection will trigger ventilation: a head start for the home’s occupants to scramble outside. Sensors can also alert to possible gas leaks.
  • Recently in the news was the seven children who died in a Brooklyn, NY house fire started by a hot plate. Apparently the house had one smoke detector—in the basement—that nobody on the second floor heard when it went off while they were sleeping. The kids would have likely survived had there been multiple fire detectors to alert the residents.
  • Furthermore, smoke alarms detect smoke before the fire begins and can simultaneously notify a central control center that then contacts the fire department. Seconds count.

Home automation may seem like something that only the rich can afford, but the makers of these systems want to score a big profit, so they develop systems to fit different budgets. Reputable home security companies can offer different packages and give price estimates.

Realize that there exist security scams, including the one in which an employee comes to your house unannounced, wearing a jumpsuit with the name of your security company on it, claiming that your system needs servicing. What he really wants to do is scope your house for vulnerabilities and also find out when you might not be home in the near future—so he could rob the place.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Sheriff’s office offers Home Security Tips

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Here’s good advice from a sheriff’s office about how to protect your house.

1SBurglars and home invaders don’t give a flying hoot if you keep thinking, “It can’t happen to me and this is a safe neighborhood.” In fact, the issue isn’t how safe your neighborhood is or how watchful your neighbors are. The issue is how easy it is to simply break into your home.

Think of the other safety precautions you take daily even though the odds of an unfortunate outcome are very small, such as making sure you take your vitamins, or making sure not to miss brushing your teeth before bedtime. Yet you leave your garage door open because you think your neighborhood is safe? What the…?!

Keep your garage door closed. A threat may not be imminent, but any passer-by may actually be a thief scouting around to see who has the goods, and he sees some real goodies in your garage; he’ll make a note of your address for a later crime.

Don’t leave boxes that contained expensive items sticking out of garbage cans. Did you know that burglars love to see what’s poking out of garbage cans? Trash cans are the windows to the soul of your house.

Religious thumpers. Savvier burglars will go door to door pretending to represent a religion—they may even have a bible on hand—but their goal is to feel you out. I’m not suggesting that you shout at them to get lost and slam the door so hard that it shakes the frame. But if you present as wishy washy and unable to say “No thank you,” this tells the burglar you’re easy prey.  It’s better to talk through the door opposed to opening it.

Petition supporters. The burglar may be pretending to sell something or collect signatures for some strange petition.

Product sales. Another scam is for the burglar to name a date and time they’ll be back to deliver a product if you show an interest in it. They’re hoping you’ll say, “I won’t be home then; can you stop by another time?” The crook will be sure to show up at the time you won’t be home—to rob you cold.

Alarm company employee. If someone’s at your door claiming to be from your alarm company (if you have one), or some alarm company (if you don’t), this IS a ruse to find out if you have an alarm system that works—even if he’s wearing an outfit with the company’s name. Alarm companies don’t send people out in the field for unsolicited visits to homeowners.

Secure all entrances. Don’t just layer up the security of your front door. What about a porch door in the back? What about windows to your basement?

Makes sure valuables are not visible through your first-floor windows. This is another way thieves case houses.

Before leaving for out of town, contact the local police and request a vacation patrol check of your house. Be sure to indicate whether or not anyone is expected to be there such as someone to mow the lawn.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Why install a Home Security System?

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Question: No. 1 reason people get a home security system?

3HAnswer: Recently burglarized; The majority of the people I hear from who want to install a home security system were recently burglarized. It often takes adversity or even tragedy for us to wake up to the realities of a harsh world.

Of course, even for people who’ve never been victims of a robbery, prevention of a burglary or home invasion is a top reason people get home security systems.

Home burglary is a very common crime. But deterring burglars isn’t the only reason you may want to consider having a home security system installed. Today’s technology means that a home security system can do so much more than blast a piercing alarm if someone breaks into your house or flash lights if someone creeps up your driveway.

Remote monitoring; For example, a home security system that’s part of an application for your smartphone can enable you to observe the exterior and interior of your house remotely. You can see what the dog is doing, for example, while you’re away; does he bark nonstop?

You can observe your older kid babysitting the younger one; is he really the bully that the younger one claims he is?

Notifications; You can also be notified, while you’re away, that your kids have arrived home from school.

Remote controls; And with today’s options, you can control things in your house remotely, such as the thermostat and lighting.

Peace of mind; Having a home security system installed will give you peace of mind.

Additional layers of protection; The system should include accessories that are not part of the actual system or smartphone application, such as a film you can put on your windows that prevents penetration or breaking, and there are ways to reinforce your doorframe and jamb.

Insurance discount; Finally, most insurance companies will reward you for having a home security system, giving discounts up to 20 percent.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Learning to trust your Intuition

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The old TV show “Star Trek” has and episode where Spock is telling Kirk of a human flaw called intuition. Spock was all about analysis and logic, while Kirk often relied upon intuition to solve problems. Intuition is a complex human sense that isn’t entirely understood or even believed to be real by some. Some call it mothers intuition or women’s intuition. But I believe everyone has it even though some don’t know how to properly cultivate it for their benefit.

12DIntuition vs. Analysis

A Rice University research team wanted to know if intuition was more effective than analysis. The team also set out to discover if the intuitive approach was better if a person had related knowledge of the matters surrounding their choice.

For the first study, subjects viewed videos of 13 basketball shots, then rated them in difficulty based on a numerical scale. There were two groups of subjects. One group (analytical) was allowed time—prior to the actual viewing—to ponder any details to be considered, such as the athlete’s particular stance.

The other group was the intuitive group who did not have this time to reflect. Both groups had 10 seconds to give their rating. Their assessments were then compared to those of a basketball coach and his assistants.

Whether or not the analytical-group subjects had any basketball knowledge was irrelevant to how well they rated the shots. However, experience with basketball was indeed a relevant factor for the intuitive group. In summary, the most accurate ratings came from subjects with basketball skills in the intuition group.

The second study had subjects viewing 10 designer handbags and determining which were authentic and which were phony. The intuition group had five seconds to give their answer. The analytical group was allowed to look at details and then had half a minute to assess the handbags. The highest scores came from owners of at least three designer handbags—in the intuition group.

So what does any of this really prove?

Let’s apply this to a somewhat risky situation. An adult is learning to ski for the first time. Too much analysis hampers their efforts: “I’ve never done this before,” “I’m way off-balance,” “I might fall,” “If I fall I’ll injure my knee,” etc. As a result, it takes a good while for the analytical adult to actually be skiing.

However, put skis on a three-year-old for the first time, and what happens? It’s not long before the preschooler is zipping past the adult, even though from a neuromuscular standpoint, the adult is far superior to the preschooler. What’s going on? The preschooler’s brain isn’t developed enough to analyze. They have no fear.

Let’s take this a step further: self-defense. Hannah is approached by a much bigger man intent on assaulting her. Immediately she’s thinking, “I can’t fight him off; he’s a foot taller; he might have a knife; he’ll strangle me with his big hands; his eyes look glazed—he’s crazed on drugs…” She gets assaulted.

This same man approaches Kaytie, who’s the same size as Hannah. Kaytie has no self-defense training, facing the same situation by this disgusting being, it doesn’t register to Kaytie that he’s bigger or that he might have a knife.

She’s not logical. She doesn’t analyze. She’s pure raw emotion—and intuitively knows her desire to protect herself is far greater than his desire to violate her. She goes wild on him, resists and she flees.

This same principle can be applied to situations like getting into an elevator with a strange man. A woman should trust her intuition or gut feeling, rather than analyze: “I’ll seem rude if I tell him I’ll wait for the next elevator,” “I must be imagining he’s dangerous; after all, he’s well-dressed.”

Too much cerebral cortex can put women (and men) in danger. An animal in the wild relies upon gut instinct. We can learn from wild animals.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.

Are you Mentally Prepared for a Predator

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A bear in the wild that wants to protect its young from another predator isn’t worried about manners. This is how people should feel when in circumstances that don’t feel right. The bear has a gut instinct not to let its young near a predator.

A woman who feels funny about getting into an elevator with a creepy looking man should have this same instinct. But often, she lets analysis take over: She steps inside an enclosed box with a stranger who makes her feel uneasy.

She fears he’ll think she’s rude if she waits for the next elevator. She may have the grandest home security system in the world, but one slip in judgment could cost her her life: Inside that box, the man strangles her.

A predator can sense when a woman is more concerned about his perception of her than of her safety. But men, too, make mistakes, like the man who gives a ride to a man he’s meeting for the first time at a country road gas station late at night. The stranger could be dangerous. And if he’s innocent? Well, so he doesn’t get a ride this time. He’ll live.

But predators are just everywhere. And some are female. It’s amazing that some people will go all out in securing their home and sports car…but when it comes to the safety of their person…they’re incredibly lax.

People need to employ layered security: like going out in the cold; you don’t just wear gloves. You also wear a hat, scarf, wool socks, maybe thermal underwear, a sweater, a coat.

Conversely, there’s the MMA champion who has no home security system. A lot of good his hook kicks will do when he’s not home while the intruder breaks in. A solid home security system has motion detectors, a loud alarm, timed lighting fixtures, an advanced lock system on all the doors and an anti-penetration system on the windows.

As for your person? Are you a good screamer? We are told to scream when attacked. But there’s a difference between hollering “Fire! Fire” when being abducted (“Fire!” is supposed to get everyone’s attention), and screaming “No” or “Stop” or even profanities. These are control words that are far better at getting control.

Many people want to lose weight. Kill two birds with one stone by taking up martial arts: Lose weight, tone up and learn to be productive in a threatening situation.

Put the pink dumbbells down and pick up a heavy barbell—even if you must struggle, because that struggle will prepare you to survive a crisis situation. Men aren’t off the hook from preparing for survival. Put down the cigarette and pick up a barbell to put some muscle on that body. You never know when you’ll one day need it.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com discussing burglar proofing your home on Fox Boston. Disclosures.