Four Reasons Home Owners Should Update Their Home Security Systems
Every year, there are around 200,000 home burglaries across Australia, an average of 2.5 percent of all properties in the country. There are some obvious things people can do to avoid joining the list of victims, such as not leaving keys under plant-pots nearby, tending your garden, keeping the home visible from the road and even owning a dog (any dog seems to work).
However, for many people, the main line of defence is an effective security alarm system. Here are four reasons to make sure your alarm is fully-functional and why bringing in security experts could be a sensible decision.
Burglars Know When Your Security is Lax
In 2015, researchers from the Australian Institute of Criminology reported findings from conversations with inmates of Perth gaol who had been imprisoned for property theft. What they found should be instructive for Aussie property owners. The researchers were told that "active burglars were aware of fake alarm systems, fake security systems and fake cameras, none of which deterred them." Simply installing what looks like a security system isn't enough. Skilled burglars will find out and know that your property is ripe for the taking.
Security Systems Aren't Properly Installed
On a related note, many burglaries take place because home security systems just aren't properly configured. In one epidemic of burglaries in Melbourne's Manningham suburb, 70 homes were targeted and "disabled or ripped off the walls completely." This shouldn't be possible. Up-to-date security systems include fail-safe features that flag up any disconnections of this type and maintain secure perimeters even if single pieces of equipment are removed. Poor quality installation cost the people of Manningham dearly.
DIY Projects Fail to Consider Security Concerns
Sometimes, it's not the installer who fails but the property owner. When owners want to maximise the value of their property, they often look to add extensions, pool houses, extra floors or conservatories - and all of them are potential targets for burglars. In some cases, owners do plan out their own security systems but fail to bring in security expertise, hoping that they can do the job themselves. This results in poor quality work that criminals can see a mile off.
Copper Cable Alarms Can be Disrupted by Broadband
In 2010, security experts flagged up the possibility that the expansion of Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) could compromise home security systems. The NBN is based on fibre optic cables, but many older security systems use copper cables to link up different areas of the home. Back then, it was thought that a million alarms could be affected, and hundreds of thousands probably still need to be updated.
Don't put the contents of your home at risk. Whether you are buying a new home, building one from scratch or securing an existing property, the only way to make sure that your property is properly secured is by calling in expert electrical contractors who can check every connection, install fail-safe modules and make sure you understand how to run the system. The alternative is becoming just another victim of opportunistic, but highly skilled burglars.