Thieves thought no one was home at Casey Branton s residence in South Salem when they tried to break in through the back. They were surprised to find Casey s mother in the home, caring for her sick grandson.
We were fortunate my mom was over that day, but it was still unnerving, Casey said. They took off when they realized someone was in the house. The moment I heard they were breaking in, I said It looks like Casey s going to get an alarm system.
Most home break-ins are through doors, so most alarm companies like to put contact sensors on all doors, plus use a motion sensor or two for general protection. Glass breakage or shock sensors are options for windows.
Many burglaries take place during daylight hours.
Most break-ins in Salem are done by people desperate for their next meth fix, said Steve Margraves of Eagle Security Systems in Salem. They are not real sophisticated about how they break into your home. It s not going to be Tom Cruise parachuting into your back yard, wearing a black suit and cutting window glass to gain access. They most likely will kick open your front door, walk in and close it behind Wow Gold them.
A home might still sustain some loss even if it is alarmed and monitored. If burglars enter a home that they do not realize has no alarm, Irene Hadfield from ADT said that when the siren goes off they will probably grab a few things quickly and make a rapid exit. This loss, though, could be minimal compared to a nonhurried break-in.
Charlie Zigmas of Protection One said that most thieves do not spend long in the kitchen, other than to look for checkbooks or credit card bills on the counter or kitchen table. Then they are off to other rooms in search of guns, jewelry, electronic equipment, cameras, cash, and the always-desired personal identification information like Social Security and drivers license numbers, date of birth, and credit card numbers on statements and other financial papers.
Many people think monitored alarm systems carry price tags beyond their reach, but are pleasantly surprised to hear a system can be installed from $99 to $700 in most apartments or small to medium-sized homes, with a monthly fee as low as $30. The $99 system comes with one motion sensor and two door contacts.
Cell or radio transmitters are available for homes that do not have a phone land line. The equipment costs about $200, with an extra $10 to $12 monthly for the wireless service. However, this monthly fee is cheaper than the cost of adding a basic wired phone line.
Wireless alarm components also are available, which allow families who rent the option to install a monitored alarm system with just a few screws holes in the walls. Most alarm companies prefer to hardwire the system, but say they also are quite confident about wireless technology.
Fire protection can be added for only $2 to $4 more per month in monitoring and about $100 in equipment fees. Branton put it this way: There is peace of mind for my wife. I also really like the built-in, integrated fire alarm system. If the house catches fire, you re worried about getting your family out instead of worrying about calling 911.
Branton said most people s insurance deductibles on just one break-in are near the cost of alarm system installation, plus we save about $50 a year in a discount on our homeowners insurance.
As an added incentive to monitored protection, home sale prices increase when alarm systems are in place.
Thieves generally avoid homes where signage indicates a monitored alarm system is present. However, Beckie Meyer of Prostar Security, Inc. of Salem warns that if a person is high, he won t pay attention to Burglar alarm signs.
According to Angie Hedrick in the Crime Prevention unit of the Salem Police Department, both the Neighborhood Watch and the Security Survey Program are effective in minimizing the opportunity to be victims of crime.
Ninety-seven percent of residential burglaries occur in areas that do not participate in Neighborhood Watch, Hedrick said.
In the Security Survey Program, which is a free service, two representatives from Crime Prevention come to a home and assess it for vulnerability, in areas such as landscaping, door jams and garages.
For information about crime prevention, call Crime Prevention at (503) 588-6175 or go to . net/export/departments/ police/crime_prevention_ safety_tips.htm.
The people who were doing this were not from our neighborhood, Branton said. Unfortunately in our world, you have to protect your family. If you can get peace of mind in this world for a dollar a day, it s pretty good.
