Do Home Alarm Systems Make You Safe?
everything will be okay and sounds calm. However, real world statistics show that this is usually not the case at all and VERY far from reality. When it comes to home invasions and other violent type robberies, the reality of the incident can be a much more frightening experience.
By Leon S. Adams for Superior Security
Concepts
Recently I ran across several articles that should be eye openers to anyone reading this article. It was about the false sense of security that most home owners have regarding the use of a burglar alarm system. Watching the TV commercials would really have you believing that you don’t need to do anything except answer your phone when the alarm in your home sounds at 3:00 in the morning after hearing your back door come crashing in. In these commercials a shrilling alarm sends the intruder running off and in an instant, the phone rings. The alarm monitoring station employee is saying
Imagine for just a moment this frightening scenario that happens all too often. You and your family are getting ready for bed. As you casually go about the night, you lock the doors, set your alarm, and begin turning off the lights. Then, without warning, your front door comes flying off the hinges and there are silhouettes of three large men with bats and guns in their hands. As you try to process what’s going on, the sound of “Get on the ground now!!” jolts you to a terrifying reality that someone has really broken into your home. You think “This can’t be happening…I have an alarm system with signs posted in the yard!” What do you do?
5. Up to 73% of burglars and robbers stated that they would still burglarize a house if it had an alarm.
What the alarm companies don’t share with you is that when the alarm sounds, typically the intruder has already entered your home! Countless news reports and articles across the country show that criminals can do the “unthinkable” between the time your alarm sounds and the police show up on the scene. This is the harsh reality. Experienced robbers know that in most cases they can enter your home, terrorize you, steal your cash or valuables and be gone in LESS than five minutes, while the police response time may be MUCH longer than that.
Some "Alarming" statistics about home alarms and burglaries not commonly shared:
1. A burglary occurs every 15 seconds in the United States. 2. Approximately 1 out of every 5 homes will be burglarized or possibly experience a violent home intrusion. 3. A majority of home invasions take place forcibly through a locked door. 4. The average length of time it takes a criminal to gain entrance to a home is 57 seconds.
Recent news reports here in Atlanta shows the frightening reality of how quick a home invasion styled robbery can occur. If you consider the amount of time it takes you to run from your front door to your bedroom, in the blink of an eye, an armed intruder could be at your bedroom door BEFORE YOU HAVE TIME TO GET OUT OF BED!!! The need for a definitive plans on how best to defend your home and family from incidents such as these needs to be in place beforehand. There will be no time to formulate a plan as the incident is unfolding. Unfortunately, because most people have the mindset that “Because nothing has ever happened, nothing ever will, they often find themselves completely paralyzed when faced with “sudden violence”…completely
immobilized, unable to respond, and at the complete control and mercy of their attackers.
Remember, Criminals don’t want opponents; they want victims! Fail to have a plan in place to defend yourself and your home, then plan to fail when this reality comes smacking you in the face! Take the opportunity to attend workshops and seminars specifically geared to these events. Pay attention to the crime statistics for your area to determine the likelihood of these events occurring in your neighborhood. Develop an action plan and share it with your household! Train, train again and train some more! As the Boy Scout motto says… “Be Prepared”. Stay tuned for more information on suggestions for preventive planning to defend against these and other violent type encounters in your home in our next issue!
Leon S. Adams is the founder and Head Instructor for Superior Security Concepts http://www.superiorsecurityconcepts.com, and
is a member of Atlanta Tactical Leadership http://www.atlantatacticalleadership.com/.