Of course you do. Even if your dog was originally acquired as home protection we can't help but fall in love with them. So why do I bring this up? Every security professional has heard this statement many times; "Oh I don't need an alarm system, we have a dog." Well if you love your dog you do not want to consider him to be part of your home security solution.
While it's true that most home burglaries are committed by opportunistic criminals who may very well be deterred by a barking dog, some percentage of burglars are career criminals who will not be the least bit worried about a dog. That's because they know they can beat it, scare it, poison it, drug it, or in the worst case kill it. Most dogs that are defending property will do so right up until they receive a swift kick near a vital organ from a size twelve boot. Would you wish any of these things on your pet? Even if not physically injured, it may be traumatized for life.
I actually had a friend years ago who lived in an affluent southern California neighborhood. Their house was broken into by burglars looking for a safe. They went right to the corner of the master bedroom, lifted up the carpet, and found no safe. They had the wrong house. But my friends wonderful, loving Irish Setter that would never have hurt anyone was found cowering in the corner of the back yard. We would never know what they did. But the dog would never go near a teenage boy again.
Dogs are family members. You would never ask your child to stay home and defend your home against burglars, why ask that of your dog?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Harden the Target
We had dinner with good friends this weekend who have a security system installed by one of the huge companies--one with long lists of complaints about them on the internet for failure to perform. We were discussing our friend’s security measures and practices and I commented that the front door needed a dead bolt. It's a weak double door and well concealed by the architecture and landscaping. I was shocked by their answer that they would rather not have a stronger lock, and in fact, they leave the security bars out of their sliding doors when they travel. The reason: so the burglar can open the door and set off the alarm. Sigh....
Ignoring for the moment the high probability that the police would arrive long after the burglar had taken three minutes to ransack the bedroom, this still is a VERY bad philosophy to adopt.Your job as a home owner and alarm system user is NOT to apprehend. Your job is to protect your family and property.
The very first thing we teach in home security is to HARDEN THE TARGET. The first line of defense in protecting your home or business is to make it an unfriendly target and a hardened target. Deadbolts and quality locks are the first priority. Drop-in bars and anti-lift blocks in sliding doors and windows are next. FBI statistics indicate the majority of home break-ins occur most commonly through the main first floor entrances. Front, rear, and garage doors being first, with a first floor window being a second but rare entry point. Of course, keeping vegetation pruned back to expose entries and having automatic outdoor lighting are also important.
Most homes that are difficult to break into and unfriendly to burglars are never burglarized. Most burglars are young men looking for an easy entry to grab a few high value items that can be quickly converted to cash to buy their next drug fix. They will almost always pass by the hardened target and move on to an easier one. So, install those one-inch-throw dead bolts, always secure every opening, and give the burglar a reason to pass you by and pick an easier target.
Remember it's not about the loss of property. It's about that feeling of violation; that a stranger has been in your home. Many people never get over this feeling and actually move after a burglary. So keep the bad guys out and keep your peace of mind.
Ignoring for the moment the high probability that the police would arrive long after the burglar had taken three minutes to ransack the bedroom, this still is a VERY bad philosophy to adopt.Your job as a home owner and alarm system user is NOT to apprehend. Your job is to protect your family and property.
The very first thing we teach in home security is to HARDEN THE TARGET. The first line of defense in protecting your home or business is to make it an unfriendly target and a hardened target. Deadbolts and quality locks are the first priority. Drop-in bars and anti-lift blocks in sliding doors and windows are next. FBI statistics indicate the majority of home break-ins occur most commonly through the main first floor entrances. Front, rear, and garage doors being first, with a first floor window being a second but rare entry point. Of course, keeping vegetation pruned back to expose entries and having automatic outdoor lighting are also important.
Most homes that are difficult to break into and unfriendly to burglars are never burglarized. Most burglars are young men looking for an easy entry to grab a few high value items that can be quickly converted to cash to buy their next drug fix. They will almost always pass by the hardened target and move on to an easier one. So, install those one-inch-throw dead bolts, always secure every opening, and give the burglar a reason to pass you by and pick an easier target.
Remember it's not about the loss of property. It's about that feeling of violation; that a stranger has been in your home. Many people never get over this feeling and actually move after a burglary. So keep the bad guys out and keep your peace of mind.
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