Last year I learned that my husband and father both have a secret obsession that I was not aware of: they were both addicted to watching Discover Channel's show It Takes A Thief. I started watching the show with them and was intrigued by the stupidity of many of the home owners and amazed at the technology that exists today in home security. In the show, one of the hosts would try to break into a home to prove to the owners how susceptible they are to a burglar. Sadly, there were two mistakes that far too many home owners made that assisted the faux burglar in his attempts to break in: leaving a door unlocked, and not arming a home security system.
home security system - finding their targets
Some burglars have admitted to finding their targets by simply going door to door to see if they get lucky. They'll knock on the door to see if someone is home. If no one answers, they try to door, or even multiple doors to see if one is unlocked. Apparently, too many people forget about a side door, or the garage door. No tools, or breaking in is necessary when you leave your home unlocked and wide open for someone to enter and take what they please. Parents on the show have said that it is difficult to get the kids to make sure the doors are locked when they leave. The show then finds solutions for each homeowner that will prevent the house from being an open invitation. One solution is to install a self-locking door that will lock whenever it is closed. The lock can be opened by using a key-code to prevent anyone from being locked out accidentally.
The other surprising mistake home owners on the show repeatedly made was to not arm their home security system. Many couples said the house had a system installed when they moved in but they never learned to use it. They found it to be intimidating or confusing so rather than taking the time to call the home security systems company to learn how to protect their homes, they simply relied on their own skills to protect their home. I laughed at the show's host whenever he would come across a home security system that wasn't armed. He would mock and tease the family terribly, and for good reason! If you inherit a home alarm and don't know how to use it, simply call the company that installed it and ask them to come out to teach you how to use it! You'll want to meet a representative from the home security system monitoring company anyway to update names on the account, billing information, as well as passwords on the account. There may be new system updates that are required or perhaps you qualify for an upgraded home security system. Either way, it doesn't hurt you to make sure that the system you bought with the house is running at it's top ability.
It only takes one unlocked door, only once, to have your whole life changed dramatically.
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