Safety And Security For Your Home And Business [Part 2]

Last week we talked about the different options you have for video surveillance and how they can deter or displace crime at a high level. In this post, we’ll go a little further into the details of how not only video surveillance but other smart home features, can improve the safety of your property.

With that said, let’s jump right into the tips!

Security signage—does it really work?

Of the approximately 200 million burglaries happening in the U.S. every year, very few of them are ‘casino heist’ variety with skilled pros hacking into a computer system and outsmarting security guards. The vast majority are people who take a look at your home, decide it’s an easy target, then come back and smash a door or window to get it. This type of person wants an easy job—anything that suggests your house will be slightly more difficult than the neighbor’s house (a dog, signage from an alarm company, fake video cameras) are a deterrent.

If your would-be burglar is a little more ambitious, there are more measures you can take to protect your property.

Full-on video surveillance

Video cameras can be a great way to displace crime from ever happening through fear of being identified, but  if a crime does happen, it’s possibly your best shot at following up. There are a range of surveillance cameras available, as discussed in detail in our last post, but the new IP cameras offer a lot of control for zooming in through their increased resolution. They also integrate better wirelessly, making it easier to connect with various other smart home technology. While typically more expensive than analog, IP cameras are the way to go if you’re serious about surveillance.

Smart home features to prevent burglaries

We’ll stress this point one more time—burglars are looking for an easy target. When casing your place, they look for patterns, like the hours when you are at work, door locking and window openings habits, etc. Here are a few smart home features that can vastly improve the security of your home.

Smart locks

The two features that stand out with smart locks is their ability to allow remote access and report on the activity of the lock itself. For instance, you can have a push notification sent to your smartphone or watch when a door is unlocked—this is handy if you’re at work and not expecting any visitors…

There is a variety of smart locks on the market, from locks that are integrated into other home automation systems to ones that work with your existing deadbolt.

Home automation—appear like you’re home when you’re not

Besides the ability to make your at-home life more comfortable, home automation can actually improve your peace of mind while you’re out. The ability to remotely access your television, window shades, stereo and more can give your house the appearance of a busy household.

We love this example from Control4:

Control4 offers a “Mockupancy” solution, which records your normal home use, then replicates it while you’re gone! Your home use patterns via lights, appliance, television and more will match your at-home behavior.

Security for your home or office isn’t something you should take lightly, but you also have plenty of options on the security spectrum. We hope this month’s post gives you plenty of insight when you’re ready to make your decision.

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

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