Monday, December 7, 2009

Home Security Systems - Video And Audio Are A Must

By Joanne Powell

Home security systems were made to make us feel safe and comfortable in our homes - whether we are there, or on the road. There's nothing quite as comforting as being able to snuggle into your bed at night feeling completely safe and secure. If anything goes "bump in the night" you know you're OK.

Years ago, simple loud alarms were the norm. Anyone who didn't know the right code when he opened your front door would immediately be greeted with ear splitting alarms that all the neighbors could hear. Nowadays, with or without these loud alarms, video is the way to go. It could be the only way the police will have any clue as to what has happened!

Professional thieves know that it takes at least five minutes for police to respond to a home invasion. Within that time frame, even with a loud alarm going off, they can quickly find your jewels, money, and high electronic gear - and be gone - before help arrives.

Many alarm companies sell silent alarms and convince homeowners this is the way to go. Unfortunately, these are anything but helpful. Considering that burglars already know they have five or ten minutes with an alarm sounding, without the alarm they won't have any way of knowing. If the cops are taking their time, these bad guys will have all that extra time to do even more damage.

Video is what the police need! Anyone who has ever watched reality TV can attest to how many times some stupid burglar has been caught simply because there was a video of his face and his actions, and sometimes, even his car.

As long as you are adding video cameras, make sure you have cameras that include motion sensors - these cameras follow movements. There's little sense in installing video cameras and then finding out that all the action was out of camera range! Make sure you have at least a camera at the front door, and then put alarms on each window. A super effective system will have cameras and alarms at each entrance, and cameras and audio that cover the entire property.

Additional cameras come in handy when additional crimes are committed over and above theft. If a home invasion includes an assault or other crime, the police will need to rely on these tapes in order to collect evidence. Usually these systems only include video, and not audio. Many times video is enough to find and convict someone, but in some cases, audio is even more important - especially in situations where certain actions aren't caught on tape, but accompanying audio is just as or even more incriminating. A bare bones beginner set up should at least have a camera at all entrances (front, back, garage, etc.), one in the kitchen, family room, and entranceway to the bedrooms (hallway, pathway, stairs, etc.).

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