Home Alarm Monitoring

Though it may seem like overkill at first glance, there are actually several very good reasons to consider installing more than one lock on your front door. Home invasions and burglaries have been on the rise as economic conditions worsened; even the most trusting people find themselves more concerned with home security. In the interest of protecting your home and its priceless contents, here are ten reasons that installing multiple locks on your door is a good idea.

1. As a Crime Deterrent – For many burglars, simply seeing that there are several locks on your door indicates that your concern for home security is above average, and can serve as a powerful deterrent. Rather than risk it, they may opt to move along.
2. As an Impediment to Determined Burglars – When an invader is determined to make a break-in attempt, installing several locks can present such a time-consuming obstacle that they’re either caught or give up before gaining entry.
3. Your Existing Lock Can Be Reached Through a Broken Window – If a broken window within your door would allow an intruder to reach a deadbolt or knob lock, installing one with a less accessible placement is a very good idea.
4. Factory Doorknob Locks Are Frequently of Lower Quality – A shocking number of people rely on the factory-installed locks that came with the doorknob, and never bother upgrading beyond that point. If the doorknob lock is your only line of defense, installing another should be considered immediately.
5. The View of Your Door is Obstructed in Any Way – Foliage, trees and other structures can limit the visibility of your front door from passersby and neighbors; experienced burglars are on the look out for just these qualities when choosing a target. If any part of the view of your door is obstructed, beefing up the defense of that door could prevent intrusion.
6. Because a Floor Lock is Difficult to Detect – Sliding locks at the base of your door are impossible to see from the outside, and can add another line of defense to your home. Feeling confident that they’ve defeated your other lock, a burglar will attempt to open the door to find that it’s still locked; the noise and delay could mean the difference between a home invasion and an attempted home invasion.
7. Because You Don’t Have an Alarm System – While a home security system is very valuable, they’re not always within the budget. If this is the case, your best bet is to make your home as difficult to invade as possible.
8. You Run a Business Out of Your Home – Running a business out of your home gives the general public access to your home address, which could cause you to be targeted for a burglary; especially if your business requires expensive special equipment, you’ll need to be sure that your home is as secure as possible.
9. For Greater Peace of Mind – Ideally, you’ll never be the target of a burglary or home invasion and your additional locks will only serve the purpose of providing you with the peace of mind to get a good night’s sleep.
10. You Live in an Apartment or Condo – Apartment dwellers often feel that their buildings are secure, especially if their building requires a security code to enter the lobby. However, waiting for someone to open those doors or even convincing someone to buzz them in can get them past the first hurdle. Because your neighbors may not know who lives around them, a stranger could slip in unnoticed.

The frightening truth is that even good locks can be tampered with by a professional; in the event of a burglary attempt, impediments and deterrents are the best line of defense.

Having your privacy invaded by someone peeking through your windows can be quite unnerving. There is often little the police can do to prevent this type of incident from recurring unless the perpetrator’s identity is known, which it usually isn’t. Even when a person is trespassing on your property, you still are limited in what you can legally do to that person. Setting any kind of trap could actually make you liable for their injury. That doesn’t mean that you have to sit back and do nothing. Here are five ways you can legally rid yourself of a peeping Tom.

1. Light it up. Peeping Toms look for homes where they can see into lit windows and they are hidden in the dark areas around the house. Installing outdoor flood lights and landscape lighting, in the areas where they might attempt to peek in, will often be enough to keep them from coming back. Leaving lights on inside the house in different unoccupied room each night can also leave them confused as to where to find you.
2. Motion detector lighting. If you don’t want lights permanently shining outside your windows at night, install motion detector lighting instead. These lights automatically turn on when something moves underneath them. No peeping Tom wants to me suddenly spotlighted. It will certainly send them running, if they do choose to return. It may keep stray cats and dogs away from the house as well.
3. Change your window coverings. If there’s nothing to see, the peeper will lose his motivation for coming around. Heavier insulated drapes or blinds made of a more substantial material, that are kept drawn, can keep any shadows or shapes from creating a picture show on your windows in the evening. Just being aware and keeping blinds fully closed may be all that you need to do.
4. Landscape changes. Simply making the landscape around your windows less inviting can also discourage return visits. Plant large bushes underneath your windows. Thorny rose bushes would be an excellent choice. Tying some noise makers to their branches can add an extra deterrent to anyone willing to brave the branches. If they can’t stand directly underneath the windows, it will be difficult for them to see in and will make them a more visible target, as well.
5. Let out a shout. Letting the person know that they’ve been seen will usually send them running. Adding the phrase ‘I’m calling the police’ will help convince them not to return. Then make the call. If they are still lurking around, the appearance of a patrol car should make them realize that you weren’t bluffing.

Putting some of these deterrents in place should help give you a little more peace of mind. You will still want to double check the security of your home. Make sure you have deadbolts on all your entrance doors and they are kept locked, even when you are at home. Make sure all windows are kept closed and can’t be opened from the outside. Installing a security system that would detect intruders attempting to enter would be more extreme, but still an option worth investing if you feel it is warranted.

The terms burglary and robbery are sometimes used interchangeably to describe crimes involving theft.

True, in most cases they do both involve theft. Nevertheless, there’s a reason you’ve never heard the term “highway burglary” used; and though the name may be more phonetically relevant to their product, the McDonald’s character Hamburglar is nevertheless a misnomer. That is, if this is any indication of his typical M.O.

Allow me to explain.

The following are 5 distinct and important legal differences between burglary and robbery:

1. Specific legal definitions of burglary vary, but generally speaking it refers to the willful entry into a structure without permission, with the intent to commit a crime. Note that there is no specificity regarding what that intended crime might be. We’ll clarify this in just a bit.

Robbery is defined as theft of money or property against an individual by force or by threat of force.

2. In a burglary, the victim need not be present, and frequently isn’t. Most burglaries, in fact, are committed with the expectation that the burglar will never be confronted by the victim. Further, theft isn’t always the intent of the burglar for entering the premises in the first place.

Conversely, for a crime to be deemed a robbery, by definition the victim must be present. Without a    victim present, in the eyes of the law there can be no robbery.

3. Burglary is judged based on intent. So a person who otherwise has permission to be on the premises is guilty of burglary if it can be proven that their intent for being on the premises at the time was to commit an offense. Even though the person was otherwise authorized to be in the building, their intent for being there was to commit a crime, which constitutes burglary.

Robbery, on the other hand, is based  not on intent, but on result. In other words, robbery is only robbery if a theft occurs, else it would be deemed attempted robbery. (It should also be noted, that force must be involved to distinguish the crime from simple theft.) 

4. Burglary is referred to as an inchoate offense, which means that the offense was committed in preparation for completion of another crime. As above, the other intended crime need not have been accomplished if it can be proven that the burglar did indeed  intend to commit it.

Robbery is considered an end unto itself, in that the sole intent of the offender is the actual crime of robbery, the taking possession or ownership of property to which they are not entitled by force or by threat of force.

5. Burglary can be classified as a felony, dependent upon the perpetrator’s intent for entering the premises. If the intent was simply to commit petty theft, however, the offense would likely only be classified as a misdemeanor.

Robbery is always a felony because it always, by definition, involves force or the threat of force.

So next time someone tells you that their house was robbed, you can say, “I hope it didn’t put up a fight and just handed over its wallet.”

Home ownership is something many American’s take for granted and for others is just a dream. What some don’t realize is that owning a home comes with a whole new set of responsibilities and problems. This is why homeowner insurance is so important and required by mortgage holders. Here are 10 of the security threats that scare homeowners. 

1. Burglary – The first thing that comes to mind when mentioning security threats is burglary. The risk of being robbed is higher in some areas than others, but even in low risk areas, the threat is there. Many homeowners invest in security systems to prevent break-ins.
2. Fire – The biggest threat to any homeowner is fire. Even if a fire is caught and put out, the damage to the home and its contents is devastating. Nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming loss of your home and possessions to a house fire. Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and even sprinkler systems can be purchased to help prevent fires from consuming your home.
3. Floods – The threat of flooding is so prevalent in most of the county that there is a national flood insurance program provided by the federal government. Since some areas only flood about every 100 years, people can live in an area for generations without knowing they have a threat. Water damage in a home is very expensive and difficult to repair.
4. Earthquakes – Another natural disaster that threatens homeowner’s security is earthquakes. Although more prevalent in fault zones, earthquakes can happen just about anywhere and cause extensive damage to homes. People who live in high risk areas must follow special building codes to help their homes withstand minor earthquakes.
5. Storms – Homeowners always keep a close eye on weather conditions. Hurricanes and tornadoes can cause the most devastating damage, but even a strong thunderstorm can be a major threat. Strong winds and lightening can do quite a bit of damage to your home and cause power outages.
6. Lawsuits – Unfortunately, another big threat to a homeowner’s security is lawsuits. Anyone who injures themselves while on your property can sue for damages even if the accident was entirely their fault. People who don’t have insurance to cover awarded damages are at risk of losing their homes.
7. Unemployment – Most people have mortgage payments that consume a large part of their monthly income. If they lose their job or are unable to work because of illness or injury, they may not be able to keep up the payments and risk defaulting on their loans.
8. Identity theft – Another security threat that scares homeowners is identity theft. If not discovered quickly, a person’s credit can be destroyed and huge credit card bills can be racked up. Some may be forced to sell their homes to cover the costs and be unable to purchase another because of their bad credit rating.
9. Vandalism – Something that many homeowners don’t anticipate is the threat of vandalism. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who don’t have any respect for other people’s property. A broken window may be covered by the insurance, but is still a big headache to repair.
10. Winter – People who live in cold climates need to be concerned about damage to their homes in the winter. Sub-freezing temperatures can cause plumbing pipes to freeze and heavy snows can collapse a roof. If a homeowner goes on vacation to escape the cold weather, they need to make sure the furnace doesn’t quit and let their house freeze up.

Homeowner insurance doesn’t cover all of these security threats, but can help defray the cost of most of them. It’s important to know the degree of risk for any of these threats in your particular circumstances. Home ownership can be somewhat scary, especially in today’s uncertain economic situation. Know what the threats are and take steps to prevent them to make owning your home less risky and more secure.

We all know, if we let ourselves think about it, that a fire in our home is possible and can be deadly, but what have we done to prepare for it? Here are 10 elements that are essential, when it comes to getting your family out of your home safely in the event of a home fire.

1. Smoke Alarms. There should be a smoke alarm in each sleeping area of your home, and one in the area just outside the sleeping rooms, as well as having smoke alarms on each level of the home. There should also be smoke alarms in the stairways between levels, and one in any room that is regularly closed off while being used, such as an office or media room. Smoke alarms should be tested once per month to assure that their batteries are good. Direct-wired alarms are not recommended, as an electrical fire can render them useless.
2. Floor Plan. Take the time to create a floor plan, map, or grid of your home. Study it together as a family, so that everyone knows escape routes from each room in case a fire separates family members.
3. Clear Escape Routes. Make sure that all escape routes to windows and doors are free of blockages at all times.
4. Alternate Route Plans. Your escape plan should include two routes out of each room, in order to assure that no one is trapped if a fire blocks a primary exit.
5. Outside Meeting Place. Designate a meeting place outside the home, for everyone to gather after escaping the home.
6. Practice. Assemble your family once per month to practice your escape plan. Keeping the practices short, and assuming the fire starts in a different room for each practice, on a rotating basis from month to month, is a good idea.
7. Hot Doors. The plan should stress that a hot door should never be opened during a fire event. Hot doors mean fire is on the other side.
8. Once Out, Stay Out. Once you or a family member has escaped the home, it should never be re-entered. Gather in your outside meeting place, and if anyone is missing, one member can run around the outside of the house, pounding on walls and shouting to get the attention of anyone left inside.
9. No Elevators. If you live in a multi-story building, never use elevators in order to escape during a fire event. Elevators are a trap if the power is lost.
10. Sleepovers. If your child asks to stay overnight at a friend’s house, always speak to the parents of the friend, to assure yourself that they also have smoke alarms and an escape plan, before giving answer. Also, the parents should be willing to include your child in an escape practice before the sleepover proceeds. The same, of course, should be done when your child has a friend in your home for an overnight stay.

These 10 essentials make a good guideline in order to assure the safety of your family in others during a home fire event. In creating your plan, you will likely find others that are essential to the peculiarities of your home. Be prepared and be safe.   

Having your home burglarized is no laughing matter, but occasionally, the antics of ‘not so smart’ burglars are worth a few chuckles, especially when it ends up with them being caught. We’ve put together a list of seven of the stupidest burglar stories we could find. 

1. Sleeping on the Job.  According to this CBS news story, this Malaysian home burglar broke into a residence while the owners were away from home for the evening. Like Goldilocks in the home of the three bears, he decided to take a little nap before leaving the home with his goods. When the homeowners returned in the morning, they found him still asleep in the house and called the authorities before he woke up. He should get plenty of sleep time in his new accommodations.
2. Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner? This report from the Salt Lake City Tribune tells the tale of a burglar who forgot to eat before going on his nightly raid. The burglar helped himself to a couple of cans of soup while he was in the home. That may not seem so stupid, except that he obviously wasn’t as careful about handling the soup can’s as he was about other areas of the home. The police were able to identify him by the fingerprint he left on one of the soup cans he left behind.
3. Facebook Folly I – Even in a big city like Washington D.C., posting your own picture on the facebook page of your victim while you are committing the crime is a pretty foolish thing to do. The burglar posted the picture while in the home and showing off the cash and coat that he was stealing. Because the police had his photo, they were able to quickly link him to the crime when they picked him up for unrelated reasons a few weeks later.
4. Facebook Folly II  - This one was in Pennsylvania. Instead of posting his picture on the victim’s facebook page, this foolish crook logged on to his own facebook account from the victims computer. If the burglar had stolen the computer, he might not have been caught. Instead, he stole two diamond rings and left the computer with his facebook account still open on the it. The victim discovered the open facebook account of a stranger on her computer and shared it with law enforcement when she reported the burglary. He was quickly identified and had to change his status to ‘incarcerated’.
5. From Ashes to …Cocaine?  In this CNN report from Florida, burglars took jewelry, electronics and the cremated remains of the victims father and two dogs. It was later learned that the burglars took the ashes assuming that the powder was cocaine and had actually snorted some of it before finding out what it was they had actually stolen.
6. Charged with Unauthorized ‘Charging’ – Cellphones have been another cause of stupid burglars being foiled in their attempts to escape the law. In this case in the burglar found that his cellphone battery was running low and ‘luckily?’ had brought his phone charger with him. He plugged his charger in and attached his cellphone. In his hurry to leave when the occupants returned, he left the cellphone and charger behind, leading to his arrest.
7. Moonlighting with the Company Vehicle – A technology gadget foiled this crafty burglar. He did his burglary work while driving a company owned vehicle. Apparently unaware that the vehicle had a GPS tracking device installed under the hood, the burglar was caught when a neighbor mentioned seeing the tow truck he was driving in the neighborhood the day of the burglary.

Thankfully, the police were able to apprehend these burglars with a little help from their own ineptness. Not all burglars are this stupid. So keep your home secure. You never know when you might be the next victim.

I’m pretty sure that everyone has been locked out of their house at least once. Some people have taken it to the extreme and had multiple keys made to either hide or give to someone else because they get locked out so often. Listed below you will find ten ways people get locked out of their house.

1. Getting the mail/newspaper. You walk out the door to get the mail thinking that you left the door unlocked, or you leave it open and it shuts on you. Hopefully, you remembered to get dressed and are not standing out there in your fuzzy slippers and robe.
2. Starting the car. For those of us that live in the extreme cold or even hot it has become a custom to go out to start the car to get it to warm up or cool off depending on the weather. However, not all of us keep our house keys and car keys on the same key chain, and you could easily get locked out of the house if you left the house keys inside.
3. Letting the dog out. Whether you are standing on the porch waiting for Fido to do his business ,or hooking him up to a chain, this is another easy way to get locked out of the house.
4. Watering the grass/flowers. Another simple but easy way to get locked out. Most of us do not carry our keys at all times, and stepping out to water you lawn is another way to accidentally lock yourself out of the house.
5. Going for a walk/run. It can be a habit to lock your door on the way out, without even realizing you did it. When you’re wearing your sweats, and don’t have any pockets, it can be easy to do this without having any keys on your person.
6. Locking keys in the car. This is a popular one. If you keep your house keys on the same key chain as your car keys and then lock your keys in the car you are subsequently locked out of your house as well.
7. Losing keys while not at home. Have you ever had that panicked moment while in a restaurant or at a friend’s house when you couldn’t find your keys? Not only do you have to find a ride, but possibly a place to sleep as well.
8. Having a lock that opens from inside when locked. I’m not sure about you, but I think this was one of the worst inventions ever. Even though the door is locked you can still open it from the inside. Once you step out and close the door, you are locked out.
9. Thinking you left it unlocked. As mentioned above, locking the door becomes a habit and you can do it without even realizing it. A lot of people get locked out of their house simply because they thought they left it unlocked, and didn’t need their keys. Or maybe you are leaving in a group and someone else locks the door when you planned on leaving it open.
10. Someone changed the locks. This is by far the worst way of getting locked out of the house. You get into a fight with your significant other, or maybe even your parents, and they change the locks. The problem with this one is you probably won’t get back in without some serious groveling.

Locking yourself out of the house is no fun and having someone else lock you out is even worse. After reading the list of ten ways people lock themselves out of the house hopefully you won’t feel as bad knowing others do it too and may share in some of the common pitfalls as well.

Salespeople in general have been criticized for their pushiness in closing the deal. However, salespeople selling alarm systems have been under much scrutiny lately. In fact, some of the ‘techniques’ are quite questionable. Listed below are ten common complaints that are received about alarm system sales tactics.

1. Claiming to be working with the police or local government. Salespeople have claimed to be working hand in hand with the local police department to cover the installation fee. When the claim was checked it was discovered to be false. Don’t be afraid to check on their claims, after all if they are legitimate they won’t have a problem with you verifying the information.
2. Claiming to be with your current company. One tactic that has been used is to make you believe that they are working for your current alarm company to get in the door and then once inside they will use aggressive tactics to get you to sign a long term contract with their company. Most legitimate alarm companies do not send someone over to your house without an appointment first.
3. Following you into your home. Some salespeople have been known to follow you into your home without being invited in. Remember it is not impolite or rude to say that you are not interested and then close the door; it’s for your personal safety.
4. Limited time offer. Many different salespeople use this tactic, but for alarm system salespeople it is very useful. Since security systems tend to be an expensive purchase the salespeople will hook you with a limited time offer such as this is for today only, or I’m leaving town tonight, and I am the only one authorized to make this deal.
5. Scare tactics. It is unfortunate that this is a popular one, but many of the salespeople will lie about recent burglaries or break-ins in your neighborhood to try and scare you into purchasing an alarm system.
6. It’s free. Have you ever heard the term “nothing is free”? Well it usually is true. Companies wouldn’t stay in business if they gave their products away. If a salesperson tries to tell you that you can get the alarm system for free there is usually going to be strings attached. They may give you the equipment for free, but then lock you into a long term expensive contract. Make sure you get all the information and read the fine print before signing up for anything.
7. Went out of business. Some salespeople will go around to homes that currently have an alarm system sign on their property and tell them that their current company went out of business, or that they have merged with a new company, and then try to get them to sign new contracts by scaring them into believing that their current alarm no longer works. Some have gone as far as cutting the phone lines so when you try to set it off it won’t work, and then reconnect them when installing your new alarm.
8. Insurance discounts. While it is true that most homeowners insurance providers will give you a discount if you have an alarm system, many sale people will use this to give you false hopes of how much you will save. Many will claim that you will save enough on your insurance to cover the cost of the system. When in actuality the savings generally runs from around 5-12% which in no way would cover the alarm system. If your policy has a $1,000.00 a year premium, your savings are only going to be $50.00- $ 120.00.
9. Offering a better discount.  Sometimes they will try anything to get you to sign their contract prior to reading it. They may tell you that they have another appointment to get to and that if you go ahead and make the deal right now they will give you a better deal. Watch out for this and again, do not sign anything without reading it first. Tell them that they can go to their other appointment and come back so that you have time to read the fine print. A legitimate salesperson will have no problem with that, after all they want to make a sale.
10. Breaking into your home. There have been instances of alarm salespeople being arrested because they broke into someone’s home just to prove to them that it could be done, and that they needed an alarm to prevent a ‘real’ intruder from doing the same.

Some states now have laws to protect homeowners from door to door salespeople making cold calls, and they are required to properly identify themselves. The federal government has also enacted a law that allows you 3 days to change your mind and get out of a contract signed through door to door sales. If the company is reputable they will allow you the time to compare bids and review their material without trying to pressure you.

Internet and telephone security has been an issue almost from the beginning of each technology. Telephone scams have been in the news for decades; almost everyone has been or knows someone who has been approached by telephone to donate to a phony charity or fraternal organization. The Internet is rife with scams that use similar tactics, sometimes to directly solicit money, more often to gather personal information that allows scammers to access bank accounts and credit cards.

Security is generally reactive, and a step behind the bad guys, but companies such as Comcast are attempting to become more pro-active in their methods. Comcast offers Xfinity, touted as a security plan “plus”, and here are some reasons to check out this program.

1. Phishing – Phishing has nothing to do with the popular band, Phish, but it does connect to a homophone, “fishing”. Phishing is a scam whereby personal information and identifications are gathered for fraudulent purposes, usually through e-mails purporting to be from legitimate companies and organizations, which request things like user names and banking and credit card information.
2. Phone Scams – Phone scams are nothing new, and Comcast’s Xfinity alerts customers to these cons; recent examples include fake “prize” offerings where callers tell victims they have won some huge prize, and all they have to do to claim their winnings is provide certain personal and financial information, or send monetary “deposits” to hold the prize.
3. Viruses – Viruses, worms and Trojans are usually forms of software that are introduced through pathways like e-mail or a game offering to “infect” other computers through self-replication, and can do things like erasure of hard-drives.
4. Spyware – Like the viruses, spyware is often introduced through e-mails and games, and is designed to covertly access all kinds of personal information stored in the computer.
5. Updates for Security Software – One of the benefits advertised by Comcast is security software updates, and these come in the form of the ubiquitous pop-up that lets the user know an update is available, or the news may arrive in an e-mail.
6. Computer Repair Scam – Comcast provides warnings against repair scammers. These people, in-person or via phone or e-mail, claim to be able to fix phony computer “problems”, but instead may install spyware or viruses.
7. Shopping -  In addition to security features, subscribers to Xfinity often receive coupons that are good at participating retailers.
8. News – Subscribers can access news and weather through the Xfinity toolbar.
9. Widgets – Widgets, available through the Xfinity toolbar, are small software devices that allow the user to access a service or perform a function.
10. Entertainment – Xfinity enables consumers to view HD television and listen to music programs.

Comcast’s Xfinity may still be slightly behind the scammers, but the program may help consumers, and the additional offerings can make it an attractive package

Your home is always a potential target for burglars, whether you are home or not. There are, however, certain times when your home is more vulnerable to break-ins than others. Here is a list of ten situations when you should be the most concerned about keeping your home secure.

1. Vacation. Anytime when you are going to be gone from your home for an extended period of time, increases the vulnerability of your home. Burglars often cruise through neighborhoods looking for the signs that homeowners are, and have been, away for more than a day or two.
2. Funerals. This is a sad, but unfortunately true scenario. Many homes are broken into during funerals. The dates and time the family will be out of the home are published in the obituary columns of the newspaper. All the burglars need to do, is locate your address.
3. Late night’s out. This is another situation that burglars watch for. If you’re seen leaving the house later in the evening, they can easily assume you won’t be home for at least a couple of hours, if not more.
4. Power outages. Since many traditional alarm systems are dependent upon electricity. Burglars will try to take advantage of power outages to gain entrance to homes that might otherwise be protected by a security system.
5. When you’re at work. With most couples working two jobs these days, daytime burglaries have become much more common. Neighborhoods are often very empty during the middle of a workday, with no one to notice their intrusion.
6. When you’re at church or synagogue. If you have a regular routine of attending church or synagogue weekly, it is easy for a burglar to take note of when the family will be gone from the house and for how long.
7. Christmas time. This has become another unfortunate reality. Burglars have often targeted homes during the Christmas season, usually to steal the gifts. A day or two before Christmas is their prime target, as the gifts are usually all bought and set under the trees.
8. Honeymoons. You leave for your honeymoon with your wedding gifts stacked in the living room; a perfect target for burglars. Plenty of brand new items to pawn or attempt to return to stores for a refund.
9. Vacation homes. If you own a second home, that vacation home can be easily become a target. The fact that its owners are only part time residents, is usually common knowledge. If it is also out of sight of the full time neighbors, that just makes it more susceptible to crime.
10. Weekends. Families are more likely to be gone from their homes during the weekends than on week nights, so these evenings are in need of an extra measure of security.

Being aware of these times when your home may be more vulnerable than others, is a good thing, but it doesn’t lower the risk. Installing a home security system would be the way to do that, if you haven’t already.