Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this: If you want to protect your family from financial loss and emotional strain

Gain: Personal security, home security, asset protection.

Cost: From just under a $100 to several hundreds of dollars for a home security system depending on your budget and needs

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There are certain cases in which being frugal might actually cost a lot. And one of these cases is related to home security. Hoping that burglary won’t happen is not going to protect you against one of the most common crimes.

The financial impact of a burglary

Here are some facts provided by The Uniform Crime Reporting Program in the United States which you might want to consider before deciding whether to invest money in home security devices or not:

• Burglary accounted for 22.1 percent of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2007.
• Of all burglaries, 61.1 percent involved forcible entry, 32.4 percent were unlawful entries (without force), and the remainder (6.5 percent) were forcible entry attempts.
• In 2007, burglary offenses cost victims an estimated $4.3 billion in lost property; overall, the average dollar loss per burglary offense was $1,991.

• In 2009 victims of burglary offenses suffered an estimated $4.6 billion in lost property; overall, the average dollar loss per burglary offense was $2,096. (Based on Tables 1 and 23.)

The psychological impact

What about the stress a person or a whole family experiences under such circumstances? The emotional price a burglary victim (especially children) pays is often much higher despite being impossible to estimate in exact numbers. Can you picture everything in your house turned upside down and a stranger’s hands touching your most private and cherished possessions? What about the worst of all – you or your children encountering the criminal? After a burglary a feeling of vulnerability often occurs in burgled people. They feel distressed and afraid to be alone in their houses, especially women.  It takes time to get over it and enjoy the comfort of being at home again. Look at the conclusions of a study on the impact of a burglary on its victims: “Victims of non-violent crimes such as burglary have been found to have suffered emotional and psychological consequences similar to those of victims of serious violent crime (Davis, et. al., 1996; Lurigio, 1987). In fact, researchers have found a surprising commonality between the reactions of victims of violent crimes and victims of burglary (Frieze, et al, 1987). They state: Victims show immediate emotional reactions to the traumatizing event. These are followed in a few hours to days by short-term emotional reactions and changes in behavior. Some emotional and behavioral reactions persist and become long-term reactions.”

What can you do as prevention?

It turns out that investing in home security is one of the wisest things a person can do. And it’s not obligatory to spend thousands of dollars on security systems. The manufacturers of such equipment have managed to respond to the needs of different customers as home security is not a privilege of celebrities anymore. The variety of products is enormous and they are offered in different price ranges. The price of a home alarm system, for example, can range from just under a $100 to hundreds of dollars. In recent years, technology of such systems has allowed for lower prices. And you might get extra benefits as some home alarm systems can incorporate home automation, smoke detectors, freeze alerts, and glass break detectors.

What products can you choose from?

• Wired alarm systems – a very reliable solution but more pricey than wireless alarm systems since they require a lot of money, both for the initial payment as well as for the monthly maintenance.

• Wireless alarm systems – a good option for individuals who are operating on a tight budget, easy to install and maintain, cover a huge area, relatively difficult to disable as they operate via battery and do not require external power to operate
• a driveway alarm – designed to detect vehicles or people passing by and will send a signal to the receiver unit which will then beep or announce that someone or something is coming near and another advantage is that they are less expensive than an automatic driveway gate
• an automatic driveway gate – a form of access control which allows only those with a user code to pass through and gain entry
• window security film – designed to hold glass in place upon impact from intruders, as well as from storms or earthquakes
• fake TVs
• dummy cameras
• deadbolt door locks
• exit alarms
• motion detectors
• heat sensors
• vibration sensors
• light sensors

Before choosing which device or complex security system to buy, take time to do substantial research to make sure that you get the best value for money and the products are the most appropriate for your home. By doing your homework, you’ll arm yourself with the best tool to keep your family and home safe from the start: knowledge.

Useful tips:

• Negligence is one of the reasons for becoming a burglary victim. Don’t be helpful to intruders by leaving an open door or an open window on the ground and first floor. Hiding a key under the doormat or somewhere near the front door isn’t a good idea either. You can find some more prevention tips here: http://www.memphispolice.org/Burglary%20Prevention%20Tips.htm

• Security systems used in a combination can well protect a house from intrusions. The installation of complex security systems should always be done by an expert in the field, or else the device may fail when protection is most needed.

• It is crucial that the alarms should work 24×7, because a forced intrusion can occur at any time. The system should work and inform the owner of the house even when the person has gone out.
• When installing such a system, the response time of the device is very important, because a quick response is very much required in critical situations. Unless the alarm works fast enough, there is a high probability that the damage would be done by the time the alarm trips.

• Display a sign indicating that you have a home security system to discourage burglars even from attempting to break into your home. They don’t want to work hard for “their” money and prefer to aim at unprotected targets.
  

Read our reviews of the most popular security products

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