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.
