In the year 2022, what can the average homeowner do to keep their home secure? What should we look out for? In the event of a break-in, how can we be as prepared as possible? In this article, we will discuss 4 Tips every homeowner must know to keep their home secure.

Tip#1: Lock Your Doors and Windows

A tip like this may seem hardly necessary in this digital age of 2022, but the facts tend to prove otherwise. For example, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program showed in 2019, 55.7% of burglaries involved forcible entry, 37.8% were unlawful entries, meaning not forced.

Regardless of whether the entry was forced or not, most burglars could gain entrance through the front door. Out of the 37.8% of unlawful entries, the most common method of entry was an unlocked door or window.

Smart Locks have been a great deterrent in recent years, and with the recent release of the SECURAM EOS WiFi Fingerprint Smart Door Lock, break-ins are becoming virtually impossible if used correctly. If you're considering whether a Smart Lock is right for you, check out our recent blog, "4 Surprising Reasons Smart Locks are Essential in 2022". Regardless of what home security products we use, keeping our doors and windows locked is a simple step to improving home security.

For a full list of The SECURAM EOS features click on the link HERE

Tip#2: Be Careful What You Post!

It's undeniable that social media is convenient and a great tool to stay connected with friends and family, but unfortunately, not everyone is "liking" posts for the right reasons. By simply being vigilant to what we share and how much we allow to be seen can be a great tool in keeping our families safe.

According to a 2021 Statistica report, there are some 295 million social network users in the United States.

Yes,… .that's 75% of the country's population!

With that many people using social media, it's easy to see how according to a report made by SafeAtLast, 65% of burglars know their victims.

In short, think twice before sharing travel plans on social media。

Tip#3: Join a Neighborhood Watch

When we think of burglars many times, our understanding is limited to what we see on popular TV shows. Burglars conjure up images of a suspicious character waiting until midnight to go into a person's home and wreak havoc on all they see.

However, the reality is a far cry from the perception given by our usual TV outlets. Your average thief is an opportunist, looking to capitalize off a situation with the least resistance. This fact makes a Neighborhood Watch a perfect deterrent for the average criminal intent on burglarizing someone's home.

In a recent exclusive jailhouse interview with Michael Shayne Durden, who had burglarized homes for almost 20 years before being caught by The Allen Police Department, stated:

"I most certainly applaud the efforts of The Neighborhood Watch. There have been so many times that I've gone and cased a neighborhood and stayed away from that neighborhood because it was obvious to me there were people out walking that had the VIP (Volunteers in Policing). It makes a lot of difference. It'll totally deter me from going anywhere near that neighborhood."

For the full Interview Click Here

Many examples like this and more show that a simple neighborhood watch is a practical step to increase home security. I mean, let's be honest who wants to burglarize a house with the whole neighborhood watching.

To find out if you have a Neighborhood Watch in your area Click Here

Tip#4: Consider Homeowners Insurance

There are many tips and preventive measures that make a persons home virtually impossible to get broken into. However, another way we can protect ourselves in the event something does happen is homeowners insurance. The 2017 FEMA catalog states: "half of all homeowners in the United States do not carry adequate homeowners insurance in the event of a catastrophic loss."

The damage caused by a normal break-in may not be on the same scale as a natural disaster, but there are still many coverages in a homeowners policy that can insure stolen items or damage in the event of a break-in. The official Allstate website highlights two coverages relating to burglary.

• Dwelling coverage- If an intruder breaks a window or damages your door, dwelling coverage may help pay for repairs.
• Personal property coverage- If an intruder comes and steals that new iPad or iPhone you just bought, personal property coverage may help pay to replace them.

Although the terminology may differ between companies and it's always important to read the fine print before deciding; the key takeaway here is that there are additional steps we can take outside of immediate home security to lessen the blow of an unexpected break-in.

Conclusion

We all want to protect our families and our property. SECURAM Systems, Inc. continues to provide reliable, effective home solutions for everyday families, but we all have a part to play to remain safe. Based on the FBI's (UCR) data, this graph shows home burglary offenses have decreased in the past 5 years.