The 4 "D’s" of Illinois Home Security

• September 16, 2016
• by Carlos Lopez

 

Homes targeted by burglars usually fail to meet the four lines of defense: deter, deny, delay, and detect. When it comes to home security in Illinois, these four proactive measures can help keep you and your home safe from injury, damage, or theft. Here’s how each “D” works to help keep you safe.

Deter

Deterring a burglar from entering your home plays a significant role in reducing the chances of a burglary or home invasion. Measures that can deter a burglar include a well-lit property or clever landscaping that removes any blind spots or hiding places. For example, you’ll want to remove shrubs or bushes that can either obscure a window or create a natural hiding place. A visible sign of your home security provider can also keep burglars from targeting your home.

Deterrents are especially important when you are away from home. Lights on automatic timers, for example, can create the illusion of your family at home, even if you’re out of town. You will also want someone to collect your mail while you’re gone or take care of your yard. Overgrown grass and uncollected mail can turn your home into a target.

Detect

Detecting a burglary can happen before, during, or after the event. Detection can come from an eyewitness, from you or a family member who’s inside the home at the time of the break-in, or by a home security system.

Keep in mind that you need to make sure to activate your alarm system in order for it to work. In addition, you should keep doors and windows closed and locked so you can actually detect a break-in if it occurs.

Your best bet in detecting criminal activity is to have video surveillance of your home and an activated alarm system. Fast response from a home security system can help detect and stop a break-in and send an alert to the police, ensuring that the offender is caught. Video surveillance can also help the police find a burglar if he flees the scene of the crime, or serve as evidence when charging the burglar.

Deny

Deny usually refers to the moment when a burglar is attempting to enter your property or home. Therefore, to stop a burglar in his or her tracks, you’ll want to create different physical and psychological barriers that will stop a burglar from entering your home.

Measures that can help deny entry include simple physical fixes, like well-built fences or securely locked doors and windows. Fixing any faulty locks or door knobs can go a long way. Also, don’t forget security codes or extra keys: it’s important to change your security codes to your garage or security system regularly, and change the hiding place for a spare key. Clever burglars can easily uncover this information with regular surveillance.

Even a neighborhood watch can deny entry; the presence of these signs and active neighbors helps discourage any entry into a home or neighborhood. Even if you don’t have an active neighborhood watch, an active community that spends time outside together will discourage any attempts of a home robbery.

Delay

If a burglar does get into your home, your best defense is to widen the response-time window by delaying his success. Hiding your valuables or securing them in a safe will make it harder for the burglar to get in and out of your home undetected. If you’re home alone or with your family, our mobile panic button will allow you to alert authorities quickly, without having to be near the security keypad. And paired with the swift action and response of the Security Doctors, you can rest assured that the burglar will not get away.

The 24/7 security systems we provide will help you implement these four important lines of defense, which will ensure a safer and more secure home. To discuss our home security systems today, contact us.

 

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