50 Times Security Measures Were Not Very Well Thought Out

You might not be too concerned about taking security precautions in your home if you believe you live in a safe area or you don’t think you own anything worth stealing, but you can really never predict when someone will be in the market for a free computer or when a drunk person will accidentally try to get into your apartment thinking it’s their own. Yes, I have had that happen. And while I cannot be 100% sure that they were drunk, it was certainly frightening knowing that if the door had been unlocked, they would have wandered right in. 

Despite all that we know about how easy it is to simply lock the front door or install a fence around our yards, some people just hope for the best. A sign stating, “Please, do not enter” or a gate that can easily be climbed or walked around may seem smart to those of us who would never dream of trespassing. But unfortunately, others take those faulty security measures as invitations to go right in. If there is not enough infrastructure in place to make it impossible to get in, it must be open to the public! 

Of course, it is not a requirement to have a security camera at your front door and an alarm that will blare through the neighborhood if you don’t type in a code within 30 seconds of entering your home. But they certainly can help deter intruders or help catch someone who has invaded your property. Now, let me be clear, I'm not a proponent of using these systems to spy on neighbors or share footage of people passing by on social media. But if the video feed is just to check up on your house when you are out of town or when you hear suspicious noises, it may help you sleep better at night.

According to US News, home security systems are a great idea for several reasons: they provide protection, they deter burglars, they provide peace of mind, they are convenient and can save energy, and they can reduce your home insurance premiums. And while you might be concerned about the installation cost or upkeep of these systems, you may be interested to know that the FBI reported that the average burglary in the United States in 2019 ended up costing $2,661 per victim. If you have a security system in place to prevent your home from falling prey to thieves, you might actually be saving money. 

And if you’re wondering whether security systems actually deter anyone from breaking in, I can tell you that they do. One study conducted by Professor Joe Kuhns at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte found that most break-ins are rather spontaneous, with almost 60% of burglars admitting that they did not plan their invasions more than 24 hours in advance. 83% of these attempted thieves also scoped out places for any sights of alarms first, and over half of them said they would move on if they saw an alarm. 

Nothing beats peace of mind, as well. Knowing that you can hop on an app on your phone and view your front porch and/or various parts of your home at any moment can just make you feel more calm when you are away on holiday or out late at night. Plus, this way you don’t need to choose between bothering a neighbor or being plagued with anxiety if you get the feeling something might be off.