Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503210119
SECTION: TODAY'S HOME PAGE: TH-16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEWART MACINNIS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
There are steps homeowners can take to reduce the risk their homes of being burglarized. They range from the high-tech to the common sense.
Roanokers are less likely to be burglarized than homeowners in Richmond, Norfolk and Charlottesville. Curiously, however, with 981 burglaries per 100,000 population, Roanoke residents are more likely than homeowners in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area to be burglarized, according to 1991 FBI statistics.
"A person's interest in home security is usually spurred because they, someone they know or a relative becomes a crime victim," says Carl White, a sales representative for Audiotronics. "Once a house has been burglarized it is more likely to be burglarized again."
Once is often enough to bring people in looking for a way to secure their homes. In the home security industry, it's known as the anxiety scale. Those at the top have been victims or know victims personally. At the bottom of the scale are those who still consider themselves invincible.
Crime knows no boundaries - either geographic or economic. Everyone is a potential victim.
While many people don't cast themselves in that role, Jorge Parrott, with the Roanoke office of ADT Security, says thousands of others in the Roanoke Valley have had electronic security systems added to their homes in recent years.
"Most burglaries are drug related," he says. "Most happen in daylight, when the owners are away. The burglars are always heading for the master bedroom, so that's not a good place to keep valuables. They are looking for items they can sell easily to make quick money."
Home security systems have become more affordable in recent years, with a basic electronic system costing little more than $150. The price ranges up to several thousands of dollars. Parrott estimates ADT will install 800 systems in area homes this year, with the average cost of systems between $500 and $600.
The sophistication of the systems varies from devices that will indicate when a window or door has been opened, to systems using motion detectors and infrared sensors that can distinguish between household pets and humans.
White, with Audiotronics, emphasizes that security against burglars is not the only security a system should provide. The most common threat facing homeowners isn't burglary, he says, it's fire.
"Most people have those little smoke detectors around," he says. "In case a fire happens when you're not home to hear the detectors, those things will be screaming at themselves."
A security system, if configured properly, can detect a fire, a break-in or a freezing condition that could damage water pipes, and dial a monitoring station where it is reported. The monitoring station will try to determine if the alarm is false, typically by calling the home, before it calls on emergency agencies to respond.
Fires won't be scared away because of a home security system, but burglars are likely to think more than twice before they try to break into a protected house. According to industry figures, homes with electronic security systems are 600 percent less likely to be invaded by burglars than unprotected homes.
An added benefit: Most insurance companies offer substantial discounts on homeowner policies for homes protected by an electronic security system.
There are two potential problems with electronic systems, however. First, homeowners have to pay attention so they don't cause false alarms. Second, a burglar who wants to get into a house bad enough can ignore or even compromise even the most sophisticated system.
"The vast majority of burglaries are not committed by professionals," says White. "They're committed by out-of-control young people."
Electronic security systems are especially effective against them.
Parrott, with ADT Security, suggests all homeowners - even if they have electronic systems - take common sense precautions
Among the precautions offered by the industry are:
Exterior doors should have a dead-bolt lock with a 1-inch throw.
Re-key the locks when you move into a house or apartment.
Secure sliding glass doors with commercially available locks, with a rigid wooden dowel in the track, or with a nail inserted through a hole drilled in the door frame and projecting into the fixed frame.
Don't hide keys in mail boxes, planters or under doormats.
Make sure your exterior doors are solid, with metal or hardwood construction. Doors should fit tightly and hinges should be on the inside. A peephole or wide-angle viewer should be installed in all entry doors.
Shrubbery around doors and windows should be pruned so they don't offer hiding places for criminals. Tree limbs should be cut back to deny access to second story windows.
All entrances and porches should be well lighted.
Keep ladders and tools inside your garage or basement when not using them.
When you leave town, notify a trusted neighbor and ask the neighbor to pick up your mail, deliveries and newspapers.
Put lights and a radio on timers to create the illusion that someone is home. Leave shades, blinds and curtains in their normal positions
When you're gone for an extended period, arrange to have your lawn and garden maintained.
White, with Audiotronics, offered one final bit of advice:
When securing your home, make sure you don't create a system that will make it difficult for you to get out in an emergency. That could be disastrous in the case of a fire.
Virtually any measure a homeowner takes to make his house look occupied and to make illicit entry difficult will help deter burglars.
The key to success, though, is taking a little time and a little effort. For more information on home security and safety, contact your local police or sheriff's office.
by CNB