Have you ever had the pleasure of speaking with a home security sales rep standing at your front door? If you didn’t know any better, you would think that installing a monitored home security system and paying a monthly subscription fee would solve all of your property crime problems. But you know better. You know that the most protected homes have multiple levels of security in place.
This post is not intended as a knock against professionally installed home security. There are plenty of very good home security companies out there, including Vivint Smart Home. Their products and remote monitoring services contribute to preventing burglary by deterring most burglars. But there are always those highly motivated criminals who couldn’t care less about home security systems.
This is the very reason a multilevel approach is the best way to go. Do not install a few cameras and expect them to fully protect you. Video cameras are limited in what they can do. Burglars know that; you should too.
Completely Unfazed by Cameras
Years ago, when the wireless camera craze first hit, criminals not used to residential surveillance had to think twice about the targets they hit. We know that because numerous studies conducted among convicted criminals revealed a reluctance to hit homes protected by video surveillance. But things are changing.
Cameras are now so pervasive that they do not have the same effect they once had. So much so that I recently read a story out of Maryland from 2023. The story featured a brazen burglar who stared directly into a video camera before donning a mask and sunglasses. He then went and ransacked the house.
The fact is that there are criminals who are unfazed by video surveillance. Cameras alone will not stop them from committing their crimes. So what will? A combination of security strategies that make their jobs as difficult as possible.
Taking the Easy Road
The key to wrapping your brain around my point is understanding that criminals, by their very nature, are looking to take the easy road. They don’t work hard, maintain steady jobs, and act like responsible members of society because doing so requires too much effort. It’s a lot easier to steal from law abiding citizens. It is a stark reality, but one you can use to your advantage.
Very few criminals will put forth a tremendous amount of effort to do what they do. Make them sweat a little bit and they will walk away. Don’t believe me? Just ask yourself why porch piracy is so popular. It is one of the easiest property crimes to commit. Virtually anyone can do it without breaking a sweat.
On the other hand, breaking into a home requires considerably more effort. Your job is to make it as hard as possible. That is how you defeat criminals.
Every Possible Measure
I believe in taking every possible measure to prevent property crime. Go ahead and start with a home security system. But then fortify your windows and doors to make them harder to breach. Install motion sensitive lighting and motion detectors that make a lot of noise when tripped. Plant thorny bushes in front of your first-floor windows, make sure to keep your garage door locked at all times, and never let anyone you don’t know into your home.
Putting numerous obstacles in the way makes burglarizing your home more difficult. The harder you make it the more likely burglars will stay away. Every level of security you deploy is another level that a lazy criminal needs to overcome. So you win by being more determined.
