If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard a billion home security tips on the internet. Some probably made sense and some probably made you scratch your head, but you are probably willing to try anything to keep your family safe — right? Just like most home fitness videos, some tips are overexaggerated and some tips just do not work. There are a lot of security tips out there, and you can best believe that the burglars have been hearing them as well. So, let me debunk some of the more popular security myths we hear so often.
SECURITY MYTHS DEBUNKED
Turning the lights on inside the house
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Keeping the indoor lights on is one of the most popular and simple homes security tip that we’ve heard floating around. I mean, it does make sense– burglars would try to avoid any homes with people inside; however, keeping the lights on inside your house isn’t enough to scare them away. They may sniff out a bluff since it is a common home safety tip that floats around. According to a survey conducted with burglars, the least effective deterrent is leaving the indoors lights on.
Putting up a Decal & Beware of Dog Signs
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Sometimes we think that putting a warning sign is all you need to scare away burglars. However, just like how people do not listen to the “do not touch sign” at a museum, security system decals and “beware of dog” signs are not enough to keep burglars away. Actually, in a Reddit Forum with burglars, one Reddtior said that those “signs” are “completely worthless”.
It’s better to have a small hidden camera than a large security camera
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Having a small hidden camera is great for capturing footage of someone in the act of a robbery without having them notice that they were caught; however, that is if you want to catch them in the act, rather than stopping them from committing the act. Catching footage of the burglar alone is not enough to protect your property. In fact, police officers only clear 13% of all reported burglaries due to lack of witnesses or physical evidence. You would want a visible home security camera with sirens and motion detectors that will send a clear message to burglars to stay away from your property.
Burglars break in while we are sleeping
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If you read the previous blog about “invitation for burglars”, then you know that they don’t only strike at night when everyone is asleep. In fact, they are more active during the day, when everyone is at work or at school. So, when you plan for security measures at your home, make sure to take extra security precaution during the daytime.
All Burglars are males, wear black ski masks, and drive in white vans.
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Now, another way the media portrays burglars are males in all black with ski masks,driving in a white van. Again, contrary to popular belief, burglars do not go outside looking suspiciously. Most of them wear everyday clothes to draw as little attention as possible. In college towns, some burglars knock on college houses dressed as an exterminator to scout for valuables and strike when the students go back home for vacation. So, always keep your eyes open and on guard; you never know who may be targeting your home.
Bigger dogs are always better
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Bigger is not always better. How loud the dog is is more important than how big the dog is. If you have a small chihuahua inside the house or a big german shepherd in the backyard, make sure that they make a lot of noise. Burglars are not scared of ferocious looking dogs per se, but they are scared of having dogs draw too much attention to themselves.
Let us Know
What are some other security myths that you often hear? Comment below. If you have a RemoCam and you caught some interesting footage, remember to send it to us at marketing@olivendove.com. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and give us a shoutout