Thoughts On Home Security
Before you scroll down to all the device options that are available to enhance your home’s security, let’s take a look at the most important, most vulnerable component of family safety. The component that decides the success or failure of a security system is the human element.
There is not one single device on this page, including the handgun at the bottom of this page, that will stop a life threat on it’s own. Everything on this page requires interaction at some point with a human being, the weakest link in the security system. Every device here is designed to make an attempt on your life difficult, give an early warning of an imminent threat or “cancel” a threat with your help. Knowing that a threat is coming and creating distance between you and the threat is critical for survival. You now have some time to respond to the threat and protect your family.
Examples of Human Element failures are:
A common misconception is that a quiet, affluent neighborhood or condominium is safe from the violent crime that we witness in the media. When violent crime does show up on our doorstep, we often hear the following, “This kind of thing doesn’t happen here.” This misconception often leads us away from taking simple security measures to protect our family.
Installing a security system that is not monitored, no subscription, or no plan on how to utilize the data from the threat in real time.
Buying a handgun, a box of ammo and storing it, with no training in how to use it.
Giving your family member, who is living alone, total control of a security system that they cannot operate.
No established or inadequate methods of communication for assistance when a life threat is identified.
Not maintaining the devices that you installed.
We are watching in real time what I refer to as the “Human Element” in family and home security with the Nancy Guthrie case.
Not all threats to life come from a criminal. Are you familiar with the term, “Aging In Place”?
Family and Home Security
There is not one facility or home that cannot be entered, with the right planning and resources. The goal with home security is to make it difficult enough to give our family a fighting chance at survival. If the system we install gives us a warning that the threat is coming, we will be able to create distance, react and survive.
Today I will pass along a few tips that are inexpensive and you can do them yourself. Years ago the security devices mentioned below were costly, today most of the items on this page are very cheap.
Your Home and Perimeter Security
The security of your family and home must consist of layers.
This means that no “1” individual obstacle that you place between a subject who wants to steal from you or assault you, guarantees your safety. If there was such a device, we would all have one. You must make the subject defeat more than “1” obstacle before reaching his goal.
The Outer Perimeter:
That consists of lighting and early warning detection.
Motion activated lights, security cameras that can tell the difference between the motion from nature or animals and that of humans.
Your neighbors are a very important part of any family security system. Have you met your neighbors? Do you greet them occasionally when you are arriving to and leaving your home? Do your neighbors have a contact number that they can reach you at should they see something suspicious at your home? Do you have a contact number for your neighbor?
Burglars for the most part, rely on isolation to apply their skills. Isolation can be your home’s physical location in regard to the location of your nearest neighbor. But in most cases burglars count on isolation in the relationship that you have with your neighbors, many neighbors just don’t want to get involved. You can change this with a friendly introduction. Make your neighbors part of your security system.
Are you living in a condominium? There is not one condominium that runs itself. There will be someone that maintains the daily functions of that condominium. There is often a security person, maintenance personnel and office personnel, take the time to meet these individuals. They should all have the ability to reach you.
The Secondary Perimeter:
Lighting is King here ! Continuous or motion detection activated with a long duration.
Consisting of properly secured doors, windows and garage/parking area. {Examples are give below.}
Consider an alarm system on points of entry. In my youth, alarm systems were expensive, most families simply could not afford them. This has changed, alarm systems are cheap and you can install them yourself. SimpliSafe has an easy to install system or a simple door/window sensor from another company. {Examples are given below.}
When it comes to video cameras, I’m a big fan of Nest Cam. {Further discussion on cameras below.}
“Indicators of life”, as I call them. Televisions, radios, programmable lights ( quite cheap to purchase actually) or dogs.
When was the last time that you went outside your home at night and examined it? Examine your home as a burglar would. What did you learn about the family inside?
The Inner Perimeter:
The last layer, it is the home owner.
Alerted, Armed and Committed to stopping the subject.
Never assume that because you are at home and your home displays “Indicators of Life” that you are safe from an intruder. Not all burglars/intruders are the same with their intent. There are actually burglars among us that don’t give a damn about your personal belongings.
**Christopher C. was a intruder into homes. I call him an intruder because he rarely entered to steal, though often he would take the victim’s car keys when he exited and drive away from the scene. Christopher removed his finger and palm prints with acid when he was young, early in his career. Christopher liked to enter occupied homes and “entertain himself” over the victims as he watched them sleep. On a single evening, Christopher pushed his luck, he entertained himself over a young woman in her home while she was sleeping and left to continue his activity in another home, where he raped a 74 year old woman. The Spirit of the Law caught up with Christopher in the early morning hours in a parking lot in the 1800 Blk of Washington Ave., the Spirit was heavy that morning. Christopher went to prison, but violated his probation and has been a fugitive on the run since June of 2002.**
Doors & Locks
Your front door may have a nice Medeco lock on it, but it’s the door frame that the burglar is going to defeat, not your expensive lock. He can do it with a cheap pry-bar. Stand outside and look at your front door, if you can clearly see the dead bolt or the latch crossing from the door itself and sliding into the door frame, that’s a problem. That slim quarter inch gap where you see the bolt or latch crossing into the door frame, is where the threat inserts his prybar. The simple, cheap latch protector seen here makes it very difficult to get directly onto the bolt or latch. It takes a screwdriver and 15 minutes to install.
Strengthen the door around the dead bolt or latch. Here is probably the cheapest and best little addition to that door lock.
Now that I have you motivated toward strengthening that door, be advised that few burglars use the front door as a point of entry. The only unwanted individuals who like to breach the front door are SWAT Teams.
If your doors open to the inside, here is a link to a fantastic tool that secures the door and it is small enough to take on trips. Most hotel doors open to the inside.
Sliding Glass Doors & Window Security
How about that sliding glass door or even better that little bathroom window where you stack the shampoo. Burglars love these two points of entry. If you are able to afford or already have hurricane resistant glass for the sliding glass door, that’s great.
Often the burglar will use a pry-bar to lift the sliding glass door out of it’s track and simply place the door to the side.
See how easy it is to breach/enter a sliding glass door !
A Home Depot cheap wooden dowel or Home Depot PVC pipe in the bottom slide rail is a must. Measure the bottom and cut a piece at Home Depot about ½ inch longer than the bottom measurement. A dowel or PVC pipe can also be placed in the bathroom window. I can’t count the number of burglary reports that I have written, where the small bathroom window was the point of entry.
Take some 409 spray cleaner and clean the windows, door handle area and the rails, even if you live on a floor above ground level. Crime scene techs really appreciate a nice clean surface when they lift a subject’s prints. Do this wipe down every month
This house is just asking to be entered. Point of entry would be the second floor, accessed by the climbing the water pipe & electrical conduit pipe on the right side of this photo. Based on the design of the house in this photo, a burglar would not even bother with the front door. People might be downstairs and he will be headed upstairs to steal the best stuff, which is usually kept in the bedroom. A cheap, loud sensor is a must on all windows.
Lighting is a must, motion activated and bright. Cheap battery powered devices can be bought at Home Depot.
Video Security Cameras
First a short story,,,
The best surveillance camera footage that I had ever seen came from a do-it-yourself system. The system was put together by a apartment building manager. The system was a VHS, yes I said VHS, recorder , one single camera input , all bought from Walmart for under $200.00. I’ve seen numerous footage from systems professionally installed that cost over $100,000.00 where we could not clearly identify the subject as he looked into the lens.
The big difference, the apartment building manager took his step ladder, some glass cleaner and cleaned the camera lens every week. The video footage of the subject was so clear that he was easily identified by the neighbors.
How many times have you cleaned the lens on the home surveillance system that you have?
If you have cameras outside and inside, try to keep the same system/company for all cameras. This makes it much easier to operate the system on your cellphone from one single app.
There are all types of security cameras on the market today.
Stick with a system that has continuous running live video to the cloud.
A system that is controlled from your cellphone app.
The best clarity in recording and real-time alerts to your cellphone.
Many systems allow you to communicate with the person on camera. You can have your system monitored by a security/alarm company.
“I prefer a cellphone controlled system, that allows me to use the same cellphone to call “911” myself if the person attempts entry or refuses to leave. Cut out the middleman, save valuable time. Practice a few times with bringing up your home cameras on the app, then calling a friend at the same time. This gets you use to watching the live feed and talking to a dispatcher on 911. Nest cameras allow this type of control.”
In 2015 a party balloon got separated from it’s owner and floated through the sky, coming to rest on my balcony here in South Florida. My security camera picked it up and I got the alert on my cellphone with live video in 7 seconds. I was in Saigon, Vietnam, now called Ho Chi Minh City.
Family Safety Outside The Home
Regardless of your home security system, you eventually have to walk out the front door. Follow this link to a blog post on “Survival In Our Daily Routine”
Some Final Thoughts On Family and Home Safety
The single biggest cost in your security system will probably be the video cameras. They are not as expensive as you might think, shop around and buy one at a time. Get a subscription that gives you live feed 24/7. I know someone who has three cameras running 24/7, one week of history and the subscription cost is $10.00 a month. These cameras are actually at the top of their field for clarity and dependability.
When you have some time during the day, take a slow walk around your home. Look at your home as as though you are a burglar and what you have always wanted is inside, figure out a way to breach your home.
Burglars are no smarter than we are, they are just desperate and have some on-the-job training experience. Fix any weaknesses that you find.
Lastly, if a subject makes it into the inner perimeter, here is a device that can help,,,,,,,
Get One And Learn How To Use It !
Thank you for your time and I hope that something on this page helps to keep your family safe.