Home invasions happen all too frequently. To make matters worse, many of them could have been prevented. Frighteningly, invasions happen so often that there are not any real statistics as to how many occur and how often. They can happen to anyone, in any neighborhood, regardless of class, race, gender, etc. Many occur in broad daylight and right in plain sight. There have been numerous reports of would-be intruders dressing up in uniform, trying to get in. They may tell you that they have a delivery for you or that they are a repair person. If you want to protect yourself and your family, there are a few steps that you can take.
You can invest in a good home security system, preferably one that is monitored by a National company like ADT or Brinks who can contact authorities in case you need them to. While having a monitored security system is a better option, you can have a system that isn't monitored. If you have your sensors and alarms set up, that could be enough to deter many people. If someone is trying to break into your home and they trigger an alarm, the sound may be enough to scare them away, thinking that police are on their way. Just because you know that the system isn't monitored, doesn't mean that the intruders know that. Also, a study showed that 9 out of 10 people arrested for robbery said that wouldn't try to get into a house with a security system.
A security system isn't the only step you can take. Talk with your family, no matter how young or old they may be. Give them specific instructions to follow, such as don't open the door for anybody. Often times, if a child sees someone who appears friendly they will open the door to them. Have a chain lock put on your door, one that is out of your children's reach if possible. This might prevent the child from swinging the door open before you have a chance to see who is there.
If someone is at your door claiming to be a delivery person, look outside to see if you see a delivery van or truck. You also have every right to ask for ID from anyone at your door, delivery person or repairman alike. If you are truly concerned about the authenticity of the person's claim, even after they have presented you with an ID, you can call whatever company they claim to be representing to verify that you do in fact have a delivery or repair scheduled. Keeping the chime turned on from you home security keypad is also a good signal to potential bad guys. Hearing that beep when the door opens lets them know not to come back if they are just casing the neighborhood.
While things like checking ID and calling companies seems a little drastic, it's an unfortunate reality. In today's world, more and more crimes are being committed. There is no stereotype to what a "bad guy" looks like anymore. You can live next door to someone for years, never knowing them. The bottom line is you have to do what you think is best in protecting your loved ones.
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