You have been thinking about investing in a new home security system. You’ve done the research on equipment, services, and brands. You’ve read claims about how much safer homes with security systems are. But you are still dealing with a nagging question: is the best home security system you can buy really enough to protect you and your family?
Maybe.
This is not an attempt to avoid answering a question. Rather, a more accurate answer relies on your definition of ‘protect’. No security system is going to stop a truly determined criminal. But that is true of any security measures you might take. So really, both risk and protection are relative.
Home Security Does Make Homes Safer
The truth is that home security systems do make homes safer. How safer is hard to say because the data is limited. However, one widely reported study from the National Council for Home Safety and Security suggests that homes not armed with security systems are 300% more likely to be burglarized than those with security systems. The study further suggests only 17% of homes with security systems are ultimately burglarized.
Assuming these numbers are correct, they are hard to ignore. And they actually make sense. A burglar is not looking to get caught when he breaks into a home. If most burglars had their way, they would break into unoccupied homes filled with valuables, quickly get what they want, and get out with no one being the wiser. A home security system interrupts that ideal scenario.
Vivint’s Guide to the Best Home Security
Vivint Home Security conducted a survey a while back, a survey intended to discover which states had the best home security practices and equipment. They wrote about it in a fantastic blog post published on their site. For me, one of the big takeaways was that the survey dealt with more than home security systems. It also looked at other practices that contribute to a consumer’s total security picture.
For example, one of the questions they asked respondents was whether they remember to lock their doors when they leave home. A surprising 76% of West Virginia residents reported occasionally forgetting. Vermont residents forget at a rate of 76% while Montana comes in its 72%. Ohio residents are apparently the least forgetful at 28%.
Why is this important? Because burglars are known to walk through neighborhoods testing door handles. Why forcibly enter if a homeowner is courteous enough to leave the door unlocked? In such a case, a burglar helps himself by walking right in without any fuss or commotion. No home security system is going to prevent that.
Electronic Home Security Is One Layer
A thorough reading of the Vivint survey and subsequent blog post reveals what could be the most important truth in the entire home security equation: electronic home security is just one layer. To make a home as safe as possible, a homeowner needs to apply multiple layers. How many? As many as possible.
A multilayered approach includes heavy duty locks on all first-floor windows and doors. It includes sufficient lighting, making sure a home is not obstructed from street views, making a home book occupied at all hours of the day, and so much more.
Is a home security system really enough to protect you? That depends on how you define protection. For most of us, a home security system is a valuable layer among several others. Combined with other security strategies and practices, our electronic devices protect us by deterring burglars. That is the way it should be.