15

Oct
2022

5 Myths About Home Security

October 15th, 2022 | by admin admin | in Security Advice |    1   

1. Only rough neighbourhoods and rich areas have to worry about break-ins. Local crime maps show residential break-ins occur throughout the Lower Mainland, in all neighbourhoods. Living in a “nice area” does not protect your home.
2. No one will break in if I’m at home. Especially during the warmer months, thieves often slip through an open door while residents work in the garden or garage.
3. My neighbours will call 9-1-1 if anything happens. While vigilant neighbours may be a great defence against burglars, they can’t watch your home every minute. And we all tend to assume most alarms are false.
4. If my alarm goes off, the police will come right away. In North America, 97 per cent of security alarms requiring police dispatches turn out to be false. That’s why municipalities like Vancouver require owners to pay for false alarm permits to offset the unnecessary costs. And that’s also why police give verified alarms top priority.
5. A web cam or security camera from a big-box retailer will prevent break-ins. Video footage can be helpful in investigating a burglary, but does little to prevent one. Mass-market retail security cameras and web cams you rig up yourself are also less durable, reliable and effective than professionally installed video surveillance cameras.

Regardless of where you live and how rich you are (or not), it’s wise to protect what is valuable to you. If an incident occurs, a monitored security system will ensure the police are notified. An alarm verified with video will ensure police respond quickly. In fact, North American police response times drop from 20 minutes to less than 5 when there is video verification.

Picking up a discount security camera from a big-box retailer or setting up a web cam cannot replace the experience and expertise of a security professional. Too often these set ups break down quickly, and do not prevent theft.

Our security experts at Radius Security can advise you on the best strategy to protect your home. Talk to us today about monitored alarm systems and video alarm verification.

For more tips, visit the Vancouver Police Department’s home security page.