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Recently, I started thinking about how secure my house is. I wanted to make sure all of my windows and doors have the most appropriate locks.

Also, it's important that they are in good condition, properly fitted and meet your insurance requirements. I've noticed that my front door' lock has been incorrectly fitted and this leaves the lock vulnerable to attack and therefore the property at risk. I called the most reliable Locksmiths near you to replace some locks at my house. They offered me a free security survey and provided me with options to better ensure my windows were safely locked and protected.


Does anyone have any idea on how to upgrade house security further? What do you think about security cameras?
 

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Neither Cops, cameras, judges nor jail deter thieves. Thieves on drugs aren't afraid of anything but mean as hell dogs and guns, and some are so drugged on something that may not do the job. Forget all the rest except to satisfy insurance requirements and do minimum for that endeavor.


and quit advertising.
 

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When the chief of police in San Jose started having his officers arrest teenagers for truancy if they were out on the streets during school hours and having their parents come and pick them up at the jail the number of home burglaries dropped by more than two-thirds. They were looking for cash to feed their video game addiction.

But companies make a lot of money selling fear so frightened people will buy a gun (which is why more than half the suicides are done with a gun) or even better, a home security system so the company gets a perpetual money stream that continues month after month.
Check the local newspaper as they publish calls made by police officers to a location and the reason for the call-out. If you find that there are lots of break-ins on your block then be concerned.

Best prevention is having motion activated lights outside and not having bushes block visibility of house entrances from the street. A thief is going to pick the houses that are easiest to enter and where the risk of detection is low. I had a dog that barked at strangers and a week after it had dug under the fence and was not around my house was burgled by teenagers. A dog is the best way to scare of intruders and this works even it if a small yappy dog.

As for the home alarm sytems I cannot see where they are of any use. If I am out of town and someone breaks into the house and sets of the alarm it is going to be an hour or more before a deputy arrives. When they do arrive and dust for fingerprints they will make more of a mess than the intruders.

Part of the problem is our perception of crime is greatly distorted both by private companies pushing their "solution" and partly from the nature of current news coverage. When I was growing up there were several newspaper being delivered and in these there was only local news. Now on CNN that need to fill the air 24x7 we get reports on crimes commited around the world.

Law enforcement organizations like the FBI will want to exaggerate crime and their effectiveness to get a bigger budget approved as the FBI and CIA did after September 11 despite their obvious incompetence in preventing the attacks.
 

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My brother taught at a high school in a south Florida city. They had open lunch where students could leave school for lunch. They discontinued open lunch, students had to stay at school through lunch. Property crimes in the vicinity of the school went down over 50%.
My really valuable stuff is in a 1500 lb. safe that would take a couple of sticks of dynamite to crack open. If they can carry it out of my cellar I probably can’t stop them.
 

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it is going to be an hour or more before a deputy arrives. When they do arrive and dust for fingerprints they will make more of a mess than the intruders.

Law enforcement organizations like the FBI will want to exaggerate crime and their effectiveness to get a bigger budget approved as the FBI and CIA did after September 11 despite their obvious incompetence in preventing the attacks.
First, most law enforcement agencies nowadays will not "dust for fingerprints" anymore unless a violent crime has taken place. There is not enough money to pay for this. State crime labs are already way overworked dealing with homicides, rapes, aggravated batteries, and other crimes against persons. It wasn't always like this but it is now.

Lastly, the FBI deals with federal crimes. Their budget shouldn't have anything to do with any increases or decreases in local crimes prosecuted under state statutes. In fact, the FBI has had issues with some police departments for purposely under reporting crimes, such as the Chicago PD.

https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2014/Chicago-crime-rates/
 
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