When you think about security, think of an onion, not an egg.  Often homeowners place all their security hopes on one simple thing, a door lock.  With only one line of defense standing between a criminal and his quest to procure your items as their own, the odds of success are clearly in the bad guy’s favor.  The greater the layers of security a criminal must traverse to accomplish his desires, the greater his or her chance of failure.  Think of your security like an onion with multiple layers of obstacles, not an egg with a thin easily penetrable shell. 

The first layer of defense can be a fence with a locking gate or a front porch with a gate.  If, however, the lock on the gate is broken it is a clear sign to a criminal that any other layers of security will almost certainly be weak. 

The next layer of security is a locking storm door, with the main door protected by a main lock and a dead bolt lock.  Any windows should not be obstructed by high bushes where a criminal could hide behind.  Prickly bushes like a holly bush or rose bushes provide a natural barrier against criminals if they are planted in front of a window.  When protecting windows adding additional window locks as a backup and window pins that will prevent the window from being raised past a certain height are essential in preventing the window from being pried open.  Another barrier is motion detecting lights as well as any good exterior lighting that illuminates any potential hiding places. 

A security yard sign is also a minor deterrent to criminals, but criminals are incredibly adept in knowing whether a sign is just a ploy.  Often many homes have security signs of defunct security companies in their yard.  Also many big box companies design the majority of their promotional security systems the same way, which gives the criminal a road map of what to do in order to circumvent the alarm.  If you have a basic alarm system it is only a beginning.  Every three to four years security systems need to be updated to stay ahead of criminal advancements. 

Even the security system needs to be layered, especially the communication apparatus, must be layered.  Dependence on a conventional phone line is not enough. The addition of a cell phone back-up unit is essential to an overall security alarm defense to assure that communication can be made if the primary phone line is cut.  Another way of protecting the primary phone line is to armor plate the line leading into the telephone box then installing a metal strong box over the telephone box.  The strong box must be secured with headless screws or rivets. 

Prior to accessing the security system a critical layer of defense are security surveillance cameras.  These cameras can record suspicious activity and even send a video feed to an offsite location for back-up storage.  This makes circumventing the defenses a daunting task.  When the criminals are forced out of their comfort zone and made to conform to the security devices they are at a huge disadvantage.  Although most people can not afford to everything, it is best to do all you can afford to do.

The key to any successful security plan is commitment to make it a success.  You must first adopt a mentality that you will not be lax on security issues. A consciousness that says safety first is far better than the mindset that it won’t happen to me so I don’t worry about it.   There are few things worst than coming home to a ransacked home.  Finding what remains of your personal possessions tossed like trash is a gut wrenching feeling.  The knowledge that your items that were stolen most likely won’t be seen again is the second wave of violation.  According to national statistics someone is burglarized on average every 15.6 seconds somewhere in the United States.  Layering your security measures and nurturing a security consciousness can prevent a criminal’s next victim from being you.

Your comments about this post are welcomed.  For more detailed information on security products and home security systems go to http://whensafetymatters.com

My name is Jim McNeely. As a security consultant and life safety specialist for the #1 Vector security dealer in the nation, Power Home Technologies, I am on a mission to protect good people from the bad elements of the world..  I believe that everyday criminals wake with a goal to lie, cheat and steal and destroy.  I wake with the goal of making sure that their next victim isn’t you.  I provide custom designed security systems to meet the individual and specific needs of every unique client.  I serve the residential and commercial communities, with solutions for access control, video surveillance, medical emergency monitoring, and residential fire protection.  My philosophy is to provide the most comprehensive security solution at an affordable price.  Home security is more than just burglary deterrence and prevention. It includes:

• Making sure your children will not sleep through a fire alarm because conventional smoke detector won’t wake them.
• Assuring that your pet can escape a home fire if you’re not home to let them out.
• Making sure that if a medical emergency occurs that EMS will arrive quickly without going through a 911 dispatch which could put you on hold.
• Having video monitoring ability to watch over an aging loved one that may live far away or right across town.
• Making sure that your child arrives safely from school.
• Preventing teenagers from slipping out of the home in the middle of the night.

These are some of the conditions I aid clients with everyday.  People want safety but are often denied this ability, not because of constrained finances, but due to lack of knowledge.  As a security consultant I provide personal safety and security seminars for:

• Church groups
• Rotary clubs
• Neighborhood watch groups
• Homeowners associations
• Business organizations
• Civic groups

To keep the communities safe and informed, I launched a blog that has been ranked as the top security blog in North Carolina.  It can be found at http://www.protectitnow.blogspot.com/.  This comprehensive resource site includes videos on why children often sleep through conventional fire alarms, what burglars know that you should, How to keep your kids safe on MySpace, face book and other online social media sites, and how to be alerted by phone when a registered sex offender moves into your community.  More information regarding safety matters and product specials can be found on my website at http://www.whensafetymatters.com/ or I can be reached at (919) 949-9690.