How to Think Like a Burglar

The enemies of any burglar are Time and Attention. The longer a burglary lasts, the more likely the Police are going to arrive. Also, any attention drawn to a burglary will likely lead to wearing an orange jumpsuit. If you keep in mind that Time and Attention are the enemies of a thief, you are more likely to make you home or business less susceptible to robbery.

There is no such thing as a burglary-proof building, there are only buildings that are more difficult to burglarize without capture. You have plenty of options to protect your family, business. You can install an Electronic Security System, Security Gate, Door Access Control, Surveillance Cameras, etc.

With all of these options, it is easy to get overwhelmed. This is why it is important to think about the two enemies of any burglar: Time and Attention. If you use this philosophy to model you security strategy, you can achieve a high level of security at an affordable price.

An electronic Security System is fundamental. In the event of an intrusion, the Police will be alerted of a break in, and loud sirens will alert anyone around of a burglary. Both Time and Attention are affected, and a burglars freedom is dramatically reduced.

A Door Access System will not allow entry to anyone not verified. The presence of a Camera System can deter criminals, because the last thing a burglar wants is their criminal act to be recorded. A Security Gate is really effective if you want to protect against vehicle theft. Other security options are available, but you need to think about what you are protecting, and how Security Technology can aide you in protection.

Here is a basic overview of Security System Equipment. The design strategy of a security system uses these devices to maximize protection.

Door and Window Contacts monitor entry points in a building. A contact is a very simple and reliable device that signals “OK” when a magnet is near and “Trouble” when the magnet is taken away. Every door and window should be contacted because 56% of intruders break in through a front or back door and 27% enter through a window (FBI 2006). Therefore, it is very important that every entry point has a contact.

A Motion Detector will sense an intruder based on their body heat and movement. They are very accurate, and can be manipulated to avoid detection of small pets. This is a good second line of defense when a burglar has made his way into the building without setting off a contact.

A Glass Break Detector detects the shrieking sound along with the percussion caused by breaking a window. Since contacts are only tripped when a window is opened, an intruder can break the glass and avoid setting of an alarm. This is why Glass Break and Motion Detectors are so important.

A Keypad is used to interact with the system. This includes Arming/Disarming, entering and deleting user codes, medical/fire emergency quick keys, etc.

A Siren or Strobe is used to notify everyone in the area that an alarm is currently taking place.

A Control Panel is the brain of a security system. All signals from detection devices are sent to the Control Panel, which acts based on pre-programmed responses.