Alarms & Security For Your Home
(Source: http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/4/100/141/)

• Choose only a company that doesn't require a contract to monitor your alarm. If you feel you have to sign a contract, never sign one for more than one year, and make sure it doesn't have a "rollover" clause that renews that contract automatically.
• Don't pay more than $15 to $20 a month for monitoring.
• To shop, start calling companies at the end of the yellow page listings, instead of front, because the big expensive companies usually are the first listed.
• To figure the cost of equipment, make a drawing of your home, or a checklist, and figure out how many doors and windows you need to protect.
• Don't lease a burglar alarm system.
• Always get smoke and fire monitoring as part of the system.
• Security companies should earn your business and shouldn't require you to sign a contract.
• Don't sign a contract - ever.
• Don't let a security company representative into your home unless you have first determined that the company won't require a signed contract.
• If a security company wants to charge you more than $20 per month for monitoring, don't do business with them and search for another company.
• Is the monitoring station UL approved? Is the station properly staffed and trained?
  Gather price quotes from various companies for security and include smoke and fire monitoring.

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The burglary basics:

* Make your home look occupied, and make it difficult to break in.
* Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed. Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors.
* Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day.
* Keep your garage door closed and locked.
* Don't allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers build up while you are away. Arrange with the Post Office to hold your mail, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to take them regularly.
* Arrange for your lawn to be mowed if you are going away for an extended time.
* Check your locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary.
* Pushbutton locks on doorknobs are easy for burglars to open. Install deadbolt locks on all your outside doors.
* Sliding glass doors are vulnerable. Special locks are available for better security
* Other windows may need better locks. Check with a locksmith or hardware store for alternatives.

Don't tempt a thief:

o Lawn mowers, snow blowers, barbecues and bicycles are best stored out of sight.
o Always lock your garden sheds and garages.
o Use curtains on garage and basement windows.
o Never leave notes on your door such as "Gone shopping."

Locks: get the best:

o No lock, regardless of its quality, can be truly effective. Key-in dead bolt locks provide minimum security. Ask a locksmith for advice on your situation.
o Change locks immediately if your keys are lost or stolen.
o When moving into a new home, have all locks changed.

Targeting the Outside:

o Have adequate exterior lighting. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards.
o Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders.
o Make sure your door hinges are on the inside.

Windows:

o Most windows can be pinned for security.
o Drill a 3/16" hole on a slight downward slant through the inside window frame and halfway into the outside frame - place a nail in the hole to secure the window.

Alarms:

An alarm system is excellent for home security. It provides peace of mind to homeowners, especially while on vacation.

o There are a wide variety of alarm systems on the market.
o Make several inquiries to different companies for the best security system available to you.

If Your Home Is Broken Into:

If you come home to find an unexplained open/broken window or door:

o Do not enter - the perpetrator may still be inside.
o Use a neighbor's phone to call police.
o Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence.
o Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles.
o Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons.

Other precautions you should take:

o Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes or other "secret" hiding places -- burglars know where to look for hidden keys. Keep a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including a description of the items, date of purchase and original value, and serial numbers, and keep a copy in a safe place away from home -- this is a good precaution in case of fires or other disasters. Make a photographic or video record of valuable objects, heirlooms and antiques. Your insurance company can provide assistance in making and keeping your inventory.
o Trim your shrubbery around your home to reduce cover for burglars.
o Be a good neighbor. If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call 911 immediately.
o Mark your valuables with your driver's license number with an engraver you can borrow from your precinct. Marked items are harder for a burglar to dispose of and easier for police to recover.
o Form a Neighborhood Watch Group. We can help you work with your neighbors to improve security and reduce risk of burglary.
o Consider installing a burglar alarm system.

The MOST important thing YOU can do is CALL THE POLICE to report a CRIME or any SUSPICIOUS activity. You have to be the eyes of your neighborhood. And remember you can always remain a pair of anonymous eyes! Remember the three L's of Crime Prevention: LIGHTS, LOCKS & the LAW! Light up your residence, lock your doors at all times, and call the Law when you see something suspicious.