Alarms, Security Systems

Statistically, the incidence of crime, especially household burglaries, appears to increase as the economy weakens and unemployment grows.

During the boom years of the 1990s, federal statistics showed an overall drop in serious crime, including burglaries, especially in urban areas. Better economics, ongoing safety concerns by long-time residents (think of neighborhood watch groups), and more interest in downtown living by young professionals and empty nesters has resulted in the growth of such 24/7 cities as San Francisco, New York and Chicago.

However, recent events, including fears generated by the bombing of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11th, have made the average American much more security conscious than he was in the 1990s.

In the more security conscious 1980s, new houses were designed so that the family activities would be focused toward the rear of the house and away from the street. During those years, home-security technology was developed to protect families from the world around them.

From all the available evidence, reliable home security should be a blend of technology and common sense. For example, a low-tech barking canine inside a house can make a burglar think twice about breaking in.

Before determining the precautions you should take and the equipment you should buy, you should know something about burglars.

There are three types: the professional, the semi-professional, and the amateur. Most homeowners, according to the Burglary Prevention Council in Chicago, have to be concerned with the latter two.

Residential burglars often are male teenagers who live near your home. They are opportunists looking for easy targets. If the risk of detection is too high, the typical burglar will not attempt to enter your home.

Both amateurs and semi-pros will spend between a few hours and a week scouting the neighborhood and every home. After determining the target, a typical burglar spends only a few minutes burglarizing it.

When your house is unoccupied -- whether for a few minutes or a few weeks -- it's vulnerable. Keep that in mind when determining the precautions you'll need to take to increase security, or call in a professional to do it.

Here are some ideas:

• Evaluate current security measures. Identify every vulnerable area of your house. Make sure your landscaping doesn't create shadows in which burglars can hide at night. Consider growing low, thorny bushes under your windows to make access painful.
• Two-story single houses with second-floor master bedrooms are less likely targets, because a burglar can be trapped on the second floor. The first floor is the typical entry point, so make sure that window and door locks are reliable.
• Houses in the middle of the block are more likely targets than corner houses, so invest in outdoor lighting that increases your home's visibility.
• Most townhouses have common features, such as sliding glass doors and small fenced-in backyards that increase vulnerability.
• Reinforcing glass doors and installing motion-sensitive lights overlooking the yard are good deterrents.
• If you live in an apartment building, the most important security precaution is to change locks immediately after you move in and limit the number of people who have keys. If you have a balcony or patio, or are near a fire exit, make sure they have sturdy doors and secure locks.

If you want to install a home-security system, here are a few guidelines:

1. A basic security system should cost between $100 and $300. This includes a plug-in base receiver and one or more wireless magnetic sensors for doors and windows that send a signal to a receiver and automatically trigger a built-in alarm.
2. An expanded security system -- $200 to $500 -- includes all elements of the basic system plus a computerized device that controls lighting and appliances and has motion detectors.
3. A basic hardwired security system, ranging from $150 to $1,000, is a low-voltage setup that is connected to the receiver by wires. The system can be expanded to include motion sensors and smoke alarms.
4. An expanded hardwired system - $800 to $4,000 - has all the elements of the basic system except that the receiver now controls home automation. Such systems include an automatic dialer so you can monitor what's going on at the house from the office.

Home-security systems are not perfect, and alarms can be triggered accidentally. Faced with a growing number of such false alarms as the popularity of these systems increases, many municipalities are levying annual fees for the privilege of having your house wired.

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