When choosing a provider for your home protection, there are a number of different choices. In the U.S. alone, there are over 13,000 regional and national companies focusing on home protection and security. Here’s a list of the best so you can make an informed decision…
One of the largest home protection providers in the United States, Protect America Inc. has been in operation since 1992. The company focuses entirely on wireless home security systems, which they say offers substantial savings for customers. Along with security systems, Protect America also provides security solutions for vehicles, fire, flooding, and carbon monoxide.
Owned by hardware giant, Stanley Black & Decker, Stanley Security Solutions primarily operates in the commercial security sector but they’ve been making substantial gains in home security. The company offers intrusion detection, fire monitoring, and more. Stanley Security Solutions also handles government contracts with clients at the local, state, and federal level.
With approximately 800,000 customers across the U.S., Monitronics International is one of the largest home security companies in the country. Owned by the Ascent Media Corporation, Monitronics offers a range of security solutions for small businesses and homes. The company is one of the few in the home security industry to utilize celebrity spokesmen having used Chuck Liddell and Deon Sanders for marketing materials.
In my brief time writing about home security and related subjects, I’ve discovered it’s a broad and diverse field that covers everything from sociology and government policy to technology and business.
When talking about the immediate implications for average people, home security does have one uncomfortable area that every person, whether they own a home or not, needs to address: home defense.
To put it simply, home security is what we do to keep criminals out. This would include home security systems, dead bolt locks, and motion detectors. Even concerned neighbors should fall into a comprehensive home security strategy.
Home defense is what we do when a criminal is already inside our home. It can be uncomfortable to consider a scenario when someone has gained access to your personal space. However, it is important to consider what to do, just in case the worst happens.
Tip #1
Hide Your Valuables and Do It Well
There’s usually only one reason a criminal is in your home: your valuables. This could be jewelry, guns, electronics, or even power tools. Whatever a criminal is looking for, homeowners need to make it as difficult as possible to find.
Perhaps the best place to hide any valuables is your children’s room. (Obviously, this advice should best be limited to valuables that are not dangerous to kids. Power tools, as listed above, probably wouldn’t fall into this category.) Most home security experts will tell you that burglars almost never go into kids rooms as there is usually little of value in those rooms. The downside is that you usually have to trust your kids not to play or break the valuables you hide in their room.
Tip #2
Your Home Security System Can Be a Great Tool
In emergencies, home security systems can save lives and are fantastic tools for home defense. Pretty much every modern home security system includes a secret panic code that can alert a monitoring station that you’re in distress. This code typically activates a silent alarm and is typically treated with increased urgency by most monitoring stations.
Adding panic buttons to your home security system can be incredibly easy, especially if you have a wireless home security system. A panic button will immediately activate the system’s siren and a signal will be sent to a monitoring station.
Tip #3
Know The Lay Out of Your Home and Be Prepared
Never underestimate home field advantage. A burglar or criminal entering your home has one serious disadvantage… he’s entering YOUR home. You know the layout, which doors stick, how the stairs creek. These things work to your advantage if an intruder has entered your home.
If someone is in your home with the intent of robbing or harming you or your family, it’s best to get out and find help as fast as possible. Having a plan (similar to a fire evacuation plan) and knowing the layout of your home, even in the dark, can help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Tip #4
Panic Room
I’m not talking about some tricked out concrete fortress, like in the Jodie Foster movie. You can create a more than sufficient panic room on a budget.
Start by selecting an easily accessible room that is still out of the way. In a multi-story home, an upstairs room would be ideal as bed rooms are typically located upstairs. Basements and attics can also be great choices for a panic room but only if they can be conveniently reached.
Outfit your panic room with home security accessories, like the EZ Armor Door Jamb. This device reinforces doors to strengthen them and is even battering ram resistant. Include a few things like a pre-loaded cell phone, bottle water, and whatever else you deem necessary for defense. You can also coat any windows in your panic room with security film that make them shatter resistant. Of course, good old fashioned iron or steel bars can work just as well but might easily identify which room of the house is a panic room.
Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney Taking His Oath of Office in June 2011
If every homeowner purchased and installed a security camera system, crime would fall 10 percent, Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney recently told the local media.
Speaking with Orlando CBS affiliate WKMG, Rooney said home security systems including security cameras would help police solve burglaries faster and reduce the number of break-ins. A new unit in the Orlando Police Department is taking advantage of new crime fighting technology to more expeditiously put wrongdoers behind bars. Cops still work on cases the old fashioned way, but cases without video are more difficult to solve, Rooney said.
Security cameras have helped solve a number of cases in Orlando recently, according to the news source, including a recent string of burglaries in the Delaney Park area.
“Because of videotape, we got a tag number and identified the suspects,” Rooney told WKMG.
Orlando was ranked third on a 2011 U.S. News and World Report breakdown of the top 11 most dangerous cities in the country. While violent crime rates were lower than other comparably ranked cities, Orlando does have a higher rate of larceny and theft, according to the breakdown.
Home security systems can lead to lower crimes rates, say New Orleans Police.
In the wake of a series of recent burglaries, police in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, are telling local residents to be on alert, and to beef up their home security systems.
Burglaries in the area have spiked 13 percent over last year, according to local reports from the Times-Picayune. While most of the burglaries have involved unlocked vehicles, area residents have also reported an increase in the number of home invasion burglaries. Area businesses have also been hit by criminals stripping facilities of copper wiring and other valuables.
Having an audible security alarm – and advertising its presence to would-be criminals – is a great crime deterrent, local sheriff’s officers say.
“If somebody sees the signage, there’s a good chance that unless they’re crazy, they’re not going to try to go into that particular home,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Colonel John Fortunato told the Times-Picayune.
Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney recently told a CNN affiliate that crime in Orlando would fall by 10 percent if every homeowner invested in a security camera.
Using a bear trap for home security probably isn't the best idea... but some of these devices aren't half bad.
Strange Home Security Devices…
That Might Actually Work
There are thousands of home security products available. Many of these products are fairly straightforward, like home security systems or motion activated lights. Fortunately for fans of the unusual, a host of companies and entrepreneurs are marketing weird or uncommon devices intended to make your home safe.
To be fair, some of these products are deceptively clever and might add an extra level of security. However, a good number of the items showcased here are just plain weird and reveal general misunderstandings about home security. Most of these products are fairly low cost and, combined with traditional home security measures, should be harmless novelty products that entertain friends.
The FakeTV is a cheap, clever home security measure
Timed lights are a common security feature but the FakeTV Burglar Deterrent is something else entirely. A clever little gadget, the FakeTV emits a light that is intended to mimic the glow from televisions. The company behind FakeTV, the Hydreon Corporation, claims the product is superior to other timed, internal security lights because the glow from the simulated television is “alive” thus giving the impression that someone is home watching television.
The Hydreon Corporation doesn’t offer hard statistics to support its claim that the FakeTV works as an effective burglar deterrant but the idea is simple and cool. Unfortunately, the device maybe a hard sale to many customers. When I showed co-workers this nifty little device, their first question was, “Why don’t I just leave the TV on when I leave?” The company does have answers for such obvious questions but the FakeTV might eventually fall victim to the common sense security craze.
No mansion or supervillain hideout should be without a SmokeCloak
Holy jalapenos, Batman! The one entry on this list I might consider installing in my own home, the SmokeCloak is the top of the line product in the emerging field of “security fog”. In case you’re wondering, security fog is exactly what it sounds like, just check out the video below:
There are a lot of words that can describe the SmokeCloak. Unique. Innovative. Foggy. However you describe this device to your friends, one word that will definitely be used is “effective”. The SmokeCloak operates on a clever premise: burglars can’t rob what they can’t see. The smoke is odorless and non-toxic so the device doesn’t run afoul of any booby trapping laws. As more homeowners employ common sense solutions to their security needs, the SmokeCloak might be one of the few innovative security devices with real staying power.
Not many home security devices are in danger of being classified by the U.S. government but ultrasonic projectors might soon be unavailable for this very reason. First used in the United Kingdom, The Mosquito was designed to prevent teenagers from loitering near shops and other public spaces. Current versions of The Mosquito have two settings: one for individuals under the age of 25 and another that can be heard by everyone.
For a quick sample of the annoying noise emitted by The Mosquito, click here… if you dare.
The device hasn’t been without a certain amount of controversy. When used publically, critics say The Mosquito violates the human rights of teenagers and other young people. Despite controversy, businesses and homeowners have been lining up since 2006 to purchase The Mosquito. The manufacturer, Compound Security Systems, also offers ultrasonic projectors specifically designed for use in the home. In most countries, it is legal to install and operate an ultrasonic projector for home security purposes.
Based on a simple premise, Meet Tango Home Security audio gives nosy neighbors and aspiring burglars the impression that your home is occupied by an annoying, barking dog. “Meet Tango” was created using a real dog named Tango that passed away a few years ago but still lives on through “his fearsome bark and growl”. A quick audio clip of the CD is included here…
BluEarth Arts, the company that makes “Meet Tango”, sells the product in CD and MP3 formats. Since most commercially available CD or MP3 players come with random or loop functions, “Meet Tango” can be played for as long as needed. While a barking dog might not be the most effective deterrent available for home security, “Meet Tango” is a simple solution within the reach of every homeowner’s budget.
A microphone that works like a home security system but looks like a phone... it's a little complicated.
Disguised like a normal landline telephone, TeleSpy is basically a low rent alarm system with a few extra features. This gadget works similarly to a monitored alarm system in that it can be programmed to call a specific number when an intruder activates the device. Unlike traditional monitored alarm systems, however, TeleSpy calls a number controlled by the owner and activates an internal microphone which allows users to eavesdrop on any intruders in the home. If the user confirms an unauthorized intruder, they can then contact the proper authorities.
The TeleSpy has a number of obvious drawbacks. For the device to be effective, intruders have to unwittingly activate the TeleSpy and make noise within a certain range of the internal mic. Much of the TeleSpy’s capabilities can be found with certain monitored alarm systems but the low cost might make it an option for some.
The Security Blanket 