ADT in Alexandria, VA

Tips to Protect Alexandria, VA Homeowners From Burglaries

Alexandria, Va., is a good place to buy a home and raise a family. In fact, research shows the city is safer than 35 percent of other cities in the United States, but there are a few issues to consider. One particular type of crime, which is a bit of a concern is burglary. The burglary rate is not as high as other cities, but homeowners should take a few steps to decrease their chances of becoming victims themselves.

Taking the Right Steps Toward Protection

There are a few things that homeowners can do to increase the safety of their families. Of course, this does not mean that homeowners should do something that might put them in danger, like purchasing a gun without taking precautionary classes.

Gun Ownership

A regrettable example of the importance of proper handling just happened in Alexandria. A man was shouting around 1:30 am near someone’s house. The person inside the home did not hear the man right away.

The perpetrator continued to shout and knock on the door until he broke into the victim’s home. The victim heard the home invader a few minutes before he broke into the home. The victim grabbed his gun, but it was too late. The criminal struggled with the victim and overpowered him. He took the gun away, and the victim was shot with his own gun. Thankfully, the wound was not lethal. There is no telling if the situation would have turned out differently if the victim was trained with the gun. The criminal was able to flee from the scene, and the police department is still looking for the criminal.

Purchasing a gun might be a good idea, but it does come with an immense amount of responsibility. Gun laws are relatively strict in Alexandria, but residents do not have a hard time purchasing a lethal weapon. Still, gun owners who want to protect their homes may want to visit a gun safety school like the Silver Eagle Group. Hopefully, everyone with a weapon understands how important it is to be a safe and effective gun owner. No gun owner wants to be responsible for buying a gun that ends up being used by bad people.

Installing Home Security

One effective way to protect a home is to install a good home security system. A security system makes sure that 60 percent of all home invasions are unsuccessful, which is a pretty good success rate.

One man in Alexandria was in his home, relaxing, as anyone might be. He was alerted of a possible break in. He had a good security system installed with several motion sensor cameras that were able to capture the criminal. These images were later used by the police department. The man was terrified when he got a glimpse of the man attempting to break into his home.

The homeowner grabbed his pistol and told the man to leave because he had a weapon pointed at him. The home invader did not listen to the warning, which is when the homeowner shot the guy. He did not aim to kill him, but he wounded him so that he could be easily captured. It was clear to the homeowner that the combination of a good system and good weapon-handling made sure that the incident did not escalate any further.

This is an example of how both tools can help ensure safety, but it should be noted that 54 percent of homeowners who have a home security system installed say that they are unsure of how to use their system. Home alarm ownership can be effective, but the homeowner does have a responsibility to learn as much as possible regarding its operation.

There are a number of good home security systems out there like ADT or Vivint. Some of these systems are wired, like the ADT home security system, while others are wireless like the Vivint systems. Of course, there are more differences, but the point is that learning how a system operates is of the utmost importance. The monitoring company should send a manual and be available to talk about the system, which should help homeowners understand everything there is to know. The following are a few vital things to learn about any system:

• Understand the function of the security panel.
• Learn how to adjust motion sensors or know when it needs to be adjusted to avoid false alarms.
• Monitor all cameras and sensors. Be sure to learn how to detect a faulty sensor or camera.

Of course, these are just a few things to ask about, but there is a lot more to learn.

Get to Know the Neighborhood Police Department

The police department in Alexandria that homeowner’s should be aware of is on 3600 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria, Va., 22304. It is the main branch in the city. You can contact the entity online or by simply dialing 703-746-4444. The police department is more than ready to receive tips should homeowners see suspicious characters around the neighborhood and much more.

The police department in Alexandria even partnered up with the CryWolf program. This program helps ensure that homeowners are taught how to prevent false alarms. These errors cost the police a lot of man power and money, which is the reason why they take this aspect of a home security system seriously. This is not to say that the police department does not want residents to have home security systems but simply to be responsible with them, just like with gun ownership.

There is a lot more to learn about home security, and the police department can connect homeowners with a police officer who will be happy to walk them through some of the most important things to remember when protecting a home.