Category: Homeowner Tips

If you’ve lived in your neighborhood for a while, it’s likely that crime rates have stayed consistent.

But if something has changed recently–perhaps there are more break-ins or robberies in your area–you should take steps to protect yourself and your property.

We’ve put together this list of tips from law enforcement agencies around the country to help make sure that happens:

Don’t leave valuables in your car.

• Make sure your car is locked and that you take all keys out of the ignition when it’s parked, even if you’re locking up for just a few minutes.
• If you have to leave something in the car, put it out of sight and lock your door immediately after getting back into the vehicle—or better yet, go inside with it!
• Never leave purses or wallets in the open or visible through windows or sunroofs; they’re an easy target for thieves.
• Keep anything valuable hidden away from view, such as GPS systems and phones that charge via USB cables–these can easily be taken by someone who knows how to use them (or simply steals them for parts).

Install a home security system

• One of the best things you can do is to install an EMC Security home security system that is monitored 24/7. If someone attempts to break into your home, EMC Security will notify the police for help. They will also inform them if any sensors were tripped so that officers know what they may be walking into when they arrive on scene.
• Security systems come with different types of sensors, but all of them have one thing in common: they detect motion and send alerts to the monitoring company if they sense something suspicious happening around your house or car. You should consider adding cameras so that video footage also gets recorded if an incident occurs while no one is present at home (or while someone is sleeping).

Eyes, ears, and lighting

• While you’re away, keep an eye on your home. A trusted neighbor or friend can check on it daily, or at least once a week. If you live in a gated community, ask your community association to play a role in keeping an eye on homes when the owners are not present.
• If you live in an ungated area, consider adding lighting around your property so that criminals know they’ll be seen if they come into your yard at night. You may want to install motion-activated lights and cameras outside your home so that anyone entering the property can be seen clearly by neighbors or passersby.

Lock the doors and windows to your house at all times.

• Never leave keys in the locks of your car, even if you’re just leaving it for a few minutes.
• If you have a garage, make sure it’s locked when not in use.

Use timers to make it look like someone’s always home

• You can use timers to make it look like someone is home when they’re not. Set lights to turn on and off at different times of the day, so it looks like there’s activity going on in your house. If you have a security camera, set it up to turn on and off every few minutes so neighbors think you’re always watching what’s happening outside.
• If you’ve got a TV or radio with a timer, use that too: set it to turn on at different times of the day so neighbors think someone is listening to music or watching TV while they’re at work during the day.

Install a security camera in your front yard or close to your doorbell

• You can easily install a security camera near your front door. Many of these cameras are small and inconspicuous. They connect to Wi-Fi and can be monitored from your phone or computer, so you’ll always know when someone is at your door.

Be vigilant.

• If you see something suspicious, it’s important to be aware of what’s happening around you and let neighbors know if they haven’t already called the police. While most neighborhood watch programs simply encourage members to call the police if they notice anything suspicious, some are more involved—they may even send emails about potential crime trends or tips on how to keep your home safe. If your program doesn’t have this level of involvement, consider starting one yourself!

You can take steps to help prevent crime from happening in your neighborhood.

• Get to know your neighbors. People who are well-known in their communities and have good relationships with their neighbors are often the first to hear about suspicious activity in their neighborhood.
• Report all suspicious activity immediately. If you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, report it to the authorities—and I promise, the police don’t bite!
• Keep valuables out of sight, secure them in a safe place (a strong box is ideal), and never leave them unattended outside even for a moment—if someone sees them lying around unsecured they’re more likely to try stealing them! And remember: if they can’t see it then they won’t bother trying anything with it either!

It’s important to take steps to protect yourself and your family. If you see something suspicious going on in your neighborhood, don’t be afraid to report it! You should also keep an eye out for things like burglaries or robberies happening around town.

When you’re moving to a new city, one of the first things you should do is get to know the area, specifically how safe certain areas are versus others.

Below are some ways to determine how safe your neighborhood is:

The FBI’s crime statistics are free, easy to access and reliable. The statistics are available for every neighborhood in the U.S., as well as for each state. To access the data, go to “Crime in the United States” on the FBI website and select your state from the drop-down menu. You can then click on “Part One: Violent Crime.” This will give you information about crimes committed within your state, including murder rates per 100,000 people (the higher this number is, the more dangerous your city or town is) and property crimes (such as burglary). Click here for home security system information).

Many websites provide crime statistics. Below is a chart of a few to try.

Real estate apps are a great way to get a feel for a neighborhood’s safety. They allow you to look at the crime rates, property taxes, and schools of neighborhoods in your area. This way, you can make an informed decision about where you want to live based on what is important to you. Want to learn about the safest cities in Georgia? Click here.

Property taxes are a reflection of the value of the property. If your neighborhood’s property values are low, it may be due to an overabundance of crime or lack of economic stimulation. Similarly, if there is a lot of crime in your area and no one wants to live there, then you should also consider whether or not it is safe for you as well. Property taxes are based on the value of the property so they can be used as an indicator as to whether or not a neighborhood is safe or not.

Evaluate your local police department or sheriff’s office. A great way to determine whether your neighborhood is safe is to take a good look at the police department or sheriff’s office. Is there a good response time? How often do they post information about crimes in your area on social media, and how quickly do they respond to public concerns via those platforms? Do they host community outreach programs, like “Coffee with a Cop” events where residents can meet members of law enforcement face-to-face and ask questions about how best to stay safe in their communities?

Consider whether or not there are any organizations in your community designed specifically around improving public safety or reducing crime rates—such as Neighborhood Watch groups—and join them if they seem like they might be right for your family.

Look around. Are their well-lit streets? How close are local parks, trails and schools? Chances are, if they are nearby, the area is on the safer-side. Check the “walk score”.

The best way to determine whether your neighborhood is safe is by talking to people who live and work in the area. Ask them about their experiences with crime and if they have seen any suspicious activity in the neighborhood. If you find out that crime is a problem, ask them what they think could be done to help make it safer.

For example: “Hey Tom! How’s everything going?”

“Oh not too bad,” he said. “I was just wondering if anyone else here has had any trouble lately.”

“No, I’m fine,” Tom said with a smile on his face but then he looked down at his feet and shook his head slightly before looking back up at me again and saying, “but I know some people who have had some problems.”

No matter where you end up, be diligent and research first so you don’t make a decision you’ll regret.

A great way to get peace of mind is with a monitored security system from EMC Security. Click here to get a quote today!

Burglars are clever, opportunistic criminals who make a living off of breaking into homes and businesses.

They’re the reason you should lock your doors, turn off your lights when you leave your house and call the police if you see something suspicious happening. Burglars tend to target homes that have easy access points or no obvious signs of security.

Although there are many ways burglars can break into a home, here are some of the most common:

An open window or an unlocked door is enough for a burglar to break in.

The most common way to break into a home is through an open window or unlocked door. Burglars don’t want to work hard, so they’ll look for the easiest way in. Sliding glass doors are especially vulnerable to burglaries because they can be forced open from the outside by pushing on them with enough force. Alarm systems and cameras are effective deterrents, as is landscaping: hiding your house behind bushes and trees makes it difficult for burglars to access your property without being seen.

Burglars are lazy.

They want to get in and out of a home as quickly and easily as possible, without attracting attention or getting themselves into trouble. If they find a home that appears easy to break into and doesn’t look like it has anyone inside, they will usually take their chance on it.

If you make your house look occupied when you’re not there, the burglar might think he’s been spotted and move on to the next house where there’s no one around.

Most burglars break into your home through the front door.

This is because most people don’t lock their doors, and many homes have open windows. You can make it harder for burglars to get in by using security systems, having a dog that barks when someone is near the house, or leaving lights on at night.

Sliding glass doors can be easy to force open.

Sliding glass doors are a popular entry point for burglars because of the ease with which they can be forced open. Sliding glass doors are often secured with a simple latch, rather than a deadbolt or other lock that requires more effort to open. It is possible to secure your sliding glass door in such a way that it cannot be opened from the outside without some sort of key or code, but this option is not always available to homeowners.

Landscaping can make a home more vulnerable to burglary.

While you may love your landscaping, it can make your home more vulnerable to burglary. For example, a lush lawn makes it easy for a burglar to hide among the trees and shrubs. If your front door is visible from the street but there are no windows on that side of your house, burglars might choose to break into an entry point on another side where they won’t be seen while doing their dirty work (and they might not even have to break anything at all).

Also consider how easily a spatial layout allows burglars to escape if caught in the act: if there are large open areas between buildings or structures with several exits and entrances, it’s less likely someone will catch them when they’re trying to run away after breaking in or stealing something.

Dogs can be both an asset and a liability.

The primary benefit of dogs is that they have excellent senses of smell, hearing, and vision. The downside is that not all dogs are good guards. There are many breeds of dog that make great guard animals; German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and Dobermans are just a few examples. If you have children or elderly people in your household who need protection from burglars or other threats outside your home (such as wild animals), then you will want to consider one of these breeds if possible.

Alarm systems and cameras are effective deterrents. They can be used to watch your home while you are away, while you are there, or to catch the burglar in the act.

Stats show homes without security systems are 3X as likely to be targeted for burglary. Exterior security cameras deter burglaries even more.

Don’t let criminals into your house! Keep all doors and windows locked, install an alarm system, set up cameras with sensors that detect motion, and get a dog if you can. The more precautions you take now, the less likely it will be for someone to break in later on down the line.

For more information about protecting your home with a security system, call 770-963-0305 or complete this form for a call back.

Yes, some cities have higher crime rates than others, but even in the worst neighborhoods you can take steps to protect your property from theft and other crimes.

Here are some tips for keeping your home safe:

1. Pick up the newspaper in your driveway so it doesn’t alert criminals that you’re not home.

Picking up the newspaper in your driveway may seem like a simple gesture, but it can actually help you protect yourself against crime. Criminals are often looking for signs that no one’s home—and newspapers are a dead giveaway of such. By picking up your newspaper and putting it inside, you’re telling criminals that someone is at home and will notice suspicious activity around their house (or, more likely, apartment building). This is especially important if you live in an area where newspapers are delivered by a third party (such as a paperboy) rather than directly from the publisher (in which case there’s usually some sort of sticker on the door letting neighbors know that they don’t need to pick up their own paper).

2. Do not leave spare keys outside—that includes hiding them under doormats or other places where they can easily be found by criminals!

3. Keep your shrubs trimmed so burglars can’t hide behind them.

4. Keep your shrubs trimmed so burglars can’t hide behind them.

5. Don’t have shrubs that are too close to the house or windows.

Instead, leave space around the house so that if a burglar tries to hide behind it, they will be visible from inside or outside of your home.

6.Don’t leave a spare key outside, especially in an obvious place like under your doormat.

If you want to avoid being burglarized, the best thing you can do is make sure that there’s nothing for a thief to take. If your keys aren’t where they’re supposed to be, then it doesn’t matter how much cash or jewelry you have stashed at home: no one will be able to get in.

That said, here are some basic precautions anyone can take:

Don’t leave keys in your car or on the seat

Don’t leave keys in your mailbox (or any other public place)

Don’t leave keys under a mat (or anywhere else obvious)

Don’t leave them in your glove box while driving around town

Make sure all your windows are closed and locked if you’re going out of town.

If you’re going out of town, make sure to lock all your windows and doors. It might seem unnecessary, but remember that criminals like to take advantage of empty houses. You don’t want an opportunistic thief going through the contents of your home while you’re gone.

Even if you’re just planning on being away for 24 hours or so, it’s important to protect yourself against crime by locking up before leaving. Thieves may think nothing of breaking into a house that looks as if it isn’t occupied—even if they are not able to get in right away. Your best bet is always to take steps beforehand so as not put yourself (or anyone else) at risk when returning from vacationing or business trips.

Don’t keep your valuables hidden in the same spot around the house. It’s a common sense rule, but some people don’t follow it. If you keep all of your valuables in the same spot around the house, then it becomes much easier for criminals to grab them and run. Keep them hidden in different rooms or areas of your home, preferably somewhere that isn’t obvious to anyone who might be casing the joint. You should also consider keeping them in different spots on any given shelf—e.g., if someone finds one hiding place, he’ll be less likely to look elsewhere if there’s another one close by.

Don’t leave your garage door open while you’re running errands or working in the yard. Leaving your garage door open while you’re home is a common mistake. But many burglars prefer to work when homeowners are away from their homes, so leaving the garage door up even for a few minutes could mean giving them an easy opportunity to break in.

If you need to go out for errands or run other quick errands around the house, shut and lock your garage door behind you. That way, if thieves happen to see your car parked in the driveway and notice that your garage isn’t closed, they won’t know what’s waiting for them inside—and they may move on to another area instead of risking confrontation with an armed homeowner who could be nearby.

For true peace of mind, consider installing a home security system, even a basic one.

If you’re not already using a home security system, consider installing one. EMC Security can help you choose the right system for your needs and budget.

A basic home security system is simple to set up and easy on your wallet—usually just a few hundred dollars per year.

If you think an intruder might be coming into your home, having a monitored security system means that the police will contact you as soon as motion is detected in your house or yard. If there’s no response from you after 30 seconds (or another predetermined time period), they’ll contact dispatchers who can send officers out to check on the situation.

There’s alot to consider when purchasing a home security system. The doors and windows, cameras, and downloading the mobile app. But one thing you should consider and plan for is – what if the alarm actually goes off when you’re home? What if someone is breaking in? What should you do while the alarm is going off?

No matter what, don’t put yourself in danger. It’s a really bad idea to confront a burglar. You don’t know if they are armed or not so try to make the safest decisions. Your job is to protect yourself and your family.

Here’s how:

• Shh…BE QUIET! Don’t alert the intruder that you are in the house. At this point, the best plan it to quietly find your phone so you can make some calls.

• If Your Alarm Panel is Nearby (assuming it wasn’t armed), Press the Panic Button. This will make the sirens to go off and will immediately alert the authorities that you need help. It could also scare the burglar off.

• Find a Way to Get Out of There. If you can escape safely, do it. Try and identify where the intruders are and then leave through a door or window as far away from them as possible.

• Lock Yourself in a Safe Room. If you can’t exit your home safely, then lock yourself in a room, barricade the door so that the burglar can’t enter even if they are able to unlock the door.

• Call the Police. If you don’t have a security system or can’t get to the panic button, make the call as soon as possible.

• Wait. Don’t leave the safe room until the police give the all-clear.

What If You Encounter the Burglar?

• Don’t be a Stupid-Hero. Let them take whatever they want as long as they leave you and your family alone. The sooner they get what they want, the sooner they’ll leave. Never try to stop a burglar from taking anything because you don’t want to trigger any violence.

• Don’t provoke them. This can be difficult when you are feeling violated. But don’t initiate physical violence to catch a burglar. Stay as far away from a burglar as possible. You should only fight back if you are attacked.

• Get a good look. As discreetly as possible, take mental notes of their physical features (height, build, hair, eye color, ethnicity, distinct markings) and mannerisms (accent, walking style) so you can provide the details to the police.

Knowing what to do during a home intrusion is vital to your safety and that of your family. By installing a home security system, you could avoid a frightening and potentially life-threatening situation. Contact EMC Security today for a quote and/or free home evaluation at 770.963.0305.