Pennsylvania
Learning About Home Security Systems
The statistics on residential burglaries are alarming. A home burglary happens ever thirteen seconds in the U.S. Making matters worse, less than twenty percent of homes have a security system. There may be a couple of reasons why these homes are unprotected. First, maybe the homeowner thinks it is too expensive. Secondly, perhaps they would rather rely on a gun.
Gun Ownership In The Home
The cruel fact is that a homeowner is more likely to hurt themselves than a burglar. Gun owners are rarely at home when burglars strike. In addition, if they are at home, a gun can escalate the situation. How easy would it be for the crook to overpower you? The situation could be real bad, real quick. Finally, statistics show that most children who shoot themselves found the gun at home. A gun may not be the best protection.
The Burglar’s Game Plan
Crooks want easy access to the home. Most of them are desperate people. Consequently, they look for unlocked doors and windows. The most common entry points are the front door, garage door, windows and the backdoor. The burglar’s work is more difficult if the home is very secure. Most doors are made of hollow wood and it is easy to kick them down. Likewise, locks are easy to pick. Check out some of the new smart locks on the market. The Kwikset Kevo Bluetooth Electronic Lock is very popular. One can automatically connect the lock to a mobile phone. Imagine, using the phone to unlock the door at night.
There are no keys. Simply have family members download the app to gain entry to the house. Additionally, the app allows the owner to check the times when the door was opened or closed. One user says, “the kevo is a game changer and worth every penny.” Police documents show burglars are attracted to homes that are isolated. This is when security cameras should make a difference. recent news story in California shows the cameras are not deterrents. The camera captured a man walking onto a front porch and stealing packages in July, 2016. Three months later, another man stopped at the house. This time, the crook went into an unlocked truck and stole a GPS and toolbox.
Security Systems
Everyone deserves to feel secure at home. It is hard to regain the feeling once there is a nearby burglary. That is when it is time to shop for a security system. Security systems do many things: they make people feel safer, add to a home’s resale value and lower insurance costs. The latest home security system reviews show the variety of products available. Once upon a time, security systems could easily be hacked. Well, that is not the case anymore. This is due in part to security systems that have encrypted signals. In addition, anti-virus software should be used if a computer is attached to the system.
The Top Systems
Industry insiders review security systems each year. A majority of home security system reviews named Frontpoint as the best system. Frontpoint appeals to many people including those who really want to feel secure. Likewise, savvy millennials will love the technology. System highlights include smash & crash technology. A burglar cannot enter your home and quickly break the alarm system. When a sensor is tripped, a signal goes to the monitoring station. The police are dispatched if the monitoring station fails to get a disarm signal. In fact, the average police response time in the U.S. is around seven minutes.
Additionally, Frontpoint has dedicated cellular service between the sensors and control panel. Likewise, there is dedicated service between the panel and monitoring station. Many companies only offer service between the panel and monitoring station. Other bells and whistles include email and text alerts, remote access and control and automated door locks.
There are three pricing packages and each one has a three-year contract.. The protection package is $34.99 per month. The equipment and activation fee is $99.00. This package includes crash and smash, light control, email and text alerts and geo services. The Interactive package is $44.99 monthly. The equipment and activation fee costs $199.93. This package includes live video streaming, motion-activated alerts and HD and night-vision capability. The ultimate plan includes everything in the first two packages for $49.99 monthly. The equipment and activation fee is $199.93.
Link Interactive was the second most popular security system. Individuals who hate the details will prefer Link Interactive. There are no different packages to sift through. In fact, there are no installation or activation fees. Users pay one monthly monitoring fee of $34.99. Video monitoring is an additional $5.00. Customers say they saved forty percent over other companies like ADT. Link Interactive is 100 % cellular like Frontpoint and also boasts smash and grab technology. Geo services are also available along with video weather alerts. Perhaps, the only negative with this company is no installation. Customers have to install it themselves. Hopefully, they will get it right.
Protect America is in the third spot. There are no up-front installation and activation fees with this company. They offer several packages including copper, silver and platinum. The $19.99 copper package offers the control panel, three door or window sensors and a motion detector. The copper package is not for folks who want more intense security. The silver plan is $37.99 per month and comes with 9 window/door sensors, motion detector and control panel. The platinum package offers the control panel, 14 door/window sensors and one motion detector. One customer wrote, “Protect America has the best equipment and the lowest monthly monitoring fee out there.” Protect America offers all the smart apps but there are additional fees. Do your homework and start protecting your home today.