Luckily for most of us, we don’t know enough about burglaries to realise that they can be categorised into ‘types’. We can consider ourselves fortunate if we remain blissfully unaware of all the different ways that a burglar could get inside your home! Yet we all know that thinking like a burglar is necessary to protect yourself from them – and so today we look at how your alarm monitoring services, your preparation and your common sense can help protect you from the 4 ‘ins’ of home invasion!
The ‘Break In’
The break-in is the most familiar type of home invasion; in fact, the term is a synonym for burglary. The break-in can be either quiet or noisy – so if he manages to pick a lock, this would be called a ‘sneak in’! Break-ins can be hard to prevent through normal security means. It is difficult and expensive to put grates over all of your windows, and it is also a big job to replace all of the screws holding your door lock on with the larger, more solid types.
The solution?
Alarm monitoring services are the best way to counter a break in – they may not prevent the breakage, but they protect your family and your home if something does get broken.
The ‘Walk In’
This is, strangely, quite a common occurrence. We are lulled into a false sense of security about our suburb, and simply choose not to lock the doors. Some brazen burglars actually choose to walk in when people are home to make it easier to get in.
The solutions?
It’s easy to forget to lock your doors when you are at home, but is a worthwhile habit to get into. Additionally, an alarm monitoring service can be zoned so that your front door and back door are protected, even with you moving freely about the house.
The ‘Scam In’
This often works a bit differently. Someone might ask to come in and use your phone, or pretend to be selling something, or to be looking for their lost child. In some scam-ins, burglars pretend to install cheap alarm monitoring services (which are actually fakes), then break in once your guard is down.
The solution?
Don’t buy anything from door to door salespeople – if their offer is interesting, ask for their company name and call them from the phone book. If someone appears to be in trouble, offer to call the police for them. And if you have an alarm monitoring service, get an optional key fob duress or panic button.
The Push-In
The burglar simply rings your doorbell or knocks on the door, and pushes his way in when you open the door. This is a dangerous type of break-in, because you know the attacker is willing to be violent to get what he wants. He also knows that you have seen his face, which makes the stakes higher for him …
The solution?
A door chain is a cheap, simple and essential defence against a push-in. Key fob with panic buttons for your alarm monitoring service are also fantastic, so that you know help will be on the way!