• If you are out in public and think you are being followed, don’t run home. Go into a public place such as a store or restaurant and call the police. Do not let a potential assailant know where you live.
• If you must go out early in the morning or late at night to walk or jog, take someone with you and stay along populated and well-lit pathways. Arm your security system before you leave.
• Do not flash money, credit cards or any expensive electronics or jewelry in public, even if you are at a private party. Be discreet – you never know who is watching you.
• If you must withdraw cash from an ATM, keep your car parked nearby with the doors locked. Return to your car immediately after getting the cash and lock the door when you get in. Don’t open the windows until you are safely out of the parking lot.
• Do not ever allow a stranger to get inside your car with you. If they force their way into your car, get out immediately and leave the area to call the police. Endangering your life to save your vehicle is not worth the risk.
• Keep your car locked at all times, even at home in your driveway. When you are in public, park in well-lighted areas close to people and activities with good visibility. Have you car keys out in advance when returning to the car.
• Upon returning home, have your house keys out as you approach your door. Do not worry about triggering your home security system if you must enter quickly because you suspect you are being followed. This is not a false alarm. Call the police.
• If you are attacked, hand over your valuables no matter how frightened or angry you are. Nothing you own is worth risking your life. Note the details of your assailant so you can give the police an accurate description.

What about the average individual that perhaps does not think he or she owns anything of real value to an intruder intent on robbing someone? The truth is burglars look for anything they can quickly convert to cash if they cannot instantly get their hands on your credit or debit card, and they will especially target you if your residence is easily broken into. Do not think the items in your home are of lesser value than those belonging to folks in more upscale communities. Here are a few facts that should get your attention:

• There are close to half a billion burglaries that affect residents of the U.S. each year
• Property stolen amounts to more than $3 billion
• Residents that have no means of security for protection are targeted three times more than those with security technology and/or monitoring
• On average someone’s home is broken into every 12 seconds and that person loses around $2,000 in personal property, including items that can never be replaced
• All it takes for an unwanted intruder to enter your home is about a minute and you could easily be the one in six homes where it happens
• Over half those burglaries take place in the daytime without the cover of darkness for protection

To protect your home and your family it’s really important that you begin by using common sense. Don’t be as trusting as you would like to be. Lock your place up when you are not home and keep it well lit at night. Don’t leave spare keys in obvious places – seasoned burglars are all too familiar with how we think. The best thing you can do is take preventative measures such as using home security equipment to discourage criminals from targeting you as a victim.

One of your options is the basic alarm that comes with your security system. Sensors are placed through out the home on doors and windows. If someone opens one of these doors or windows an alarm will sound and law enforcement will be notified immediately.

A second way you can protect your home is with a driveway alarm. These devices are placed at the front of your driveway and are attached to motion sensors. These monitor the traffic going in and out of your driveway. Anytime a person or car crosses the sensor an alarm sounds, letting you know what’s going on around your property at all times.

Another good deterrent are security lights. These do not make a sound but they are automated to turn on when ever there is motion detected. You will be alerted by the lights every time there is motion in your yard. They are also good at simply scaring away any intruders because they think someone is home or they don’t want to be seen in the light.

Home security alarms are a very efficient way to improve the security around your home. If you don’t have any of these measures already in place, you should consider installing one today.

Home security camera systems will ensure that your home is being monitored whether you are home or not. It will also afford you the luxury of seeing who is entering your property and even who is ringing your doorbell. This will give you the peace of mind of knowing if you can safely open your door or if you should call for help; a huge advantage in keeping your family safe.

In early 2008, a subdivision in Southeast Missouri was making sure that every single home they had for sale had security cameras installed. This is becoming more popular as people realize the importance of home safety and how security cameras can help. A mother of three teenagers that bought one of the homes said, “The cameras were the selling point because we travel a lot. We wanted to make sure that our home was being watched.”

Just remember that security cameras will be extremely helpful in keeping your family safe. It is important you do not make the mistake of passing on security cameras. You need to do detailed research to find exactly what you need. This can be a lot to handle on your own so I would suggest calling a security company such as ADT Home Security, they will be able to help with all of your security needs.