Our homes are our castles. They are supposed to be places of safety and security. Most the time, they are. But unfortunately, the risk of that safety and security being violated is always present. The risk is enough to motivate some people to install home security systems.
Where do you stand on the home security issue? Are you the type of person who is willing to spare no expense to protect family and property? Or maybe you take basic steps to protect your property but don’t think investing in a security system is worth it. If you are in that latter category, this post is for you.
There are valid reasons for not putting money into a home security system. But there are just as many reasons to spend the money. You already know why you are hesitant to take the plunge. You are about to discover five valid reasons to reconsider.
1. The Threat Is Real
First of all, the threat of residential crime is very real. Just spend a week checking the local news every evening after work. You will see no shortage of stories relating to burglaries, car break-ins, home invasions, and the like. The world is a dangerous place. None of us can be guaranteed complete safety 100% of the time.
A recent study conducted by Safewise asked more than 20,000 Americans their opinions about safety and security. Check out some of the statistics from that study:
- 62% employ at least one strategy to protect their homes
- 38% don’t take any measures to protect their homes
- 25% rely on a home security system for protection.
The study went on to reveal that security cameras – separate from integrated home security systems – are the most commonly chosen method for protecting residential property. Homeowners and renters also rely on dogs and firearms to maintain safety.
One final statistic from the study is kind of strange: despite Americans believing that crime rates are rising, the number of people taking proactive steps to protect their homes fell by some 6% between 2019 and 2020. It would be interesting to know why.
2. Police Resources Are Limited
Protecting family and property is the whole point of investing in home security. Unfortunately, it would seem that some Americans believe protecting them is the police department’s responsibility. Such beliefs have been partially fueled by the ‘serve and protect’ philosophy so many police departments push.
Here is the problem with that philosophy: police can only respond after the fact. Officers cannot sit outside your house 24/7 to make sure you are not burglarized. They can respond to a report after burglars clean you out, but how does that help you?
This isn’t intended as a knock on law enforcement. Rather, it is a recognition that their authority and resources are limited. And where sources are concerned, police departments around the country are so resource-limited that burglaries and car break-ins are way down on the list of priorities. Oftentimes, police officers can’t respond immediately to anything except a crime in progress.
3. Home Security Does Deter Criminals
Because police departments can do very little to deter property crimes, it’s up to homeowners to handle it. Guess what? Home security really does deter burglars. Study after study has shown that, given the choice between an unprotected home and one with a monitored security system, a burglar will choose the unprotected home.
Home security systems make noise. When connected to a remote monitoring center, they alert monitoring personnel who can immediately alert the authorities. When equipped with video surveillance cameras, they provide important evidence police can use to identify and find perpetrators.
Criminals know all of this. They also know that the chances of getting caught go up when a home security system is present. They prefer to not take unnecessary chances. If they see video cameras or a security company placard in the lawn, they are more likely to move on.
4. Deterrence Is About Making Things Hard
Side-by-side with deterring criminals is the concept of making crime as difficult as possible. In fact, making things hard is at the very heart of deterring crime. The harder crime is to pull off, the less likely it is that criminals will try it.
Let us say you have two first-floor doors with standard locks built in to the handles. Those are some of the easiest locks for burglars to breach. So what do you do? You beef up your security by adding heavy-duty deadbolts. You have just made it harder for burglars to kick in your front door.
That is the entire concept behind home security. According to Vivint, it’s harder for burglars to remain undetected in a home equipped with window, door, and broken glass sensors. It is harder to remain anonymous in a home equipped with video cameras.
Your typical burglar is a coward who just wants to do his dirty work and get away before being noticed. Making it harder for him to do so also makes it harder for him to justify taking the risk. You can certainly make life a lot harder on criminals than your local police department can.
5. Some Things Are Irreplaceable
Perhaps the most important reason to invest in home security is the realization that some things are irreplaceable. You can buy a new cell phone. You can replace lost jewelry and stolen cash. But what if you lose family members?
Whether the result of crime, fire, carbon monoxide poisoning or some other event, losing loved ones is all the more tragic when a loss could have been prevented. When you think of it in terms of lives, home security suddenly becomes so much more valuable.
This post has given you five reasons to reconsider your decision to not invest in home security. If you still don’t think home security is worth the price, that’s fine. We all need to make our own choices. But perhaps now you understand why other people choose to spend the money.
