While violent crimes have dropped in the Houston area over the past few years, home break-ins and burglaries keep rising at alarming rates. The best way to protect yourself and your family is with a home security system. Houston police and security experts offer the following tips and information to help you choose the right home security system or home alarm system for your home.
- Make your home less attractive as a target. Home security systems can’t do it alone. Make your home a less attractive target by trimming overhanging bushes and eliminating blind spots where intruders could hide out of sight as they try to break in.
- An alarm system monitoring service will alert you if an intruder enters your home while you’re at home. The simplest home alarm systems sound an alarm if someone breaks a circuit while the alarm is armed. They’ll let you know if someone breaks in so that you can alert the authorities or take other actions to protect yourself and your family. Louder systems may also alert your neighbors if you have any living close by. They can be useful during the day to scare intruders off and to alert neighbors that there’s a problem at your house.
- Remote alarm systems notify police or emergency services if the alarm is tripped. The next step up the ladder are home security systems that automatically dial a specified number or series of numbers if your burglar alarm is tripped. The number may be an automatic phone dialing system that alerts police, fire department and emergency medical services and dispatches them to your home.
- Monitored alarm systems provide personal coverage. Some Houston home security companies offer alarm systems monitored by real people. If the alarm is tripped, it notifies human monitors at the home office of the alarm monitoring company. Depending on the system, the company may try to reach you by telephone or may be able to turn on video or audio monitoring to check your situation before alerting authorities that you need help.
- The most elaborate home security systems combine personal monitoring with wireless services. The newest home alarm systems are complete home access systems. You can wirelessly change the locks on your front doors so that you can issue a one-use key code to a plumber or repair person, or set your alarm system to notify you if your teenager doesn’t check in after school. Alarm monitoring services can help seniors remain in their homes by providing personal monitoring and alerting authorities in case of a fall or other emergency.
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