What is security: Keeping my kids safe

North Texas resident Kristine Soto started using Monitronics long before she had children, but their arrival has given new purpose to her monitored alarm system. We asked her to explain what security means to her now. These are her words.

“When we moved into our house, it already had an alarm system in place, and we chose to use Monitronics to monitor it about five years ago, almost six.  We really haven’t had any problem. When I leave a window open they are quick to call!

“But that was before we had children. What is important to me is keeping my family safe from predators and burglars. I have two boys who are four and three and they’re not old enough to say no to somebody if that person comes up with candy or special treats. They don’t really know the whole ‘say no to strangers’ thing. We don’t want anybody walking into our house and the alarm keeps that from happening.

Another big concern is fire. The kids are interested in matches now because they’ve seen me light the candle and seen me put the matches away. I have had to move them from the drawer where I kept them, but what if they found the matches and took them upstairs and were playing with them? This is why it’s so important to us that our smoke detectors are monitored. It just doesn’t take long for kids to figure things out. Our alarm system keeps us safe in a lot of ways.“

Yesterday, we tweeted about a great article called “13 Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You.” It’s a funny take on the burglar mindset, with points like, “Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier” and “Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.”

Author Michelle Crouch even has eight more things a burglar won’t tell you on her blog. We love that one of the sources is convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Jackpot!

The response to our tweet was big and we’ve been thinking about the whole premise of Michelle’s article. We’re a company that offers monitored security systems and the first thing people think of is protecting themselves from break-ins. But only a small percentage of home emergencies are actually burglaries. A monitored security system offers protection against so much more. So we played with Michelle’s original thought and came up with a few things your home knows, but won’t tell you. That is, unless you have a Monitronics monitored alarm system.

10 things your home won’t tell you, but an alarm will

1. Your teenager just got into the liquor cabinet and is mixing crème de menthe and soda with his chemistry lab partner.

2. Your telephone line has just been cut by someone sneaking around the side of your house. We offer wireless monitoring of your system.

3. That cheap space heater in the bedroom is starting to overheat and is producing smoke. But not enough to reach the one detector you put up years ago in the den. (Does that thing even have a battery?)

4. Your mother has not opened her medicine cabinet today and that means she has not taken her medication.

5. The reason you feel so sleepy lately is because there’s a growing amount of carbon monoxide in your bedroom.

6. Your fifth grader just got home from school and is playing inside safely. You don’t have to worry.

7.   Neighborhood kids just hit a home run over your fence and shattered your glass back door.

8.  Your aging father slipped and fell in the bathroom an hour ago and doesn’t have any way to let paramedics know because he’s not wearing a medical pendant.

9. The door to the gun cabinet just was opened, but the only person home is your teenage son.

10. Your babysitter is outside, talking to her boyfriend, while your six year old cuts her brother’s hair. With video monitoring, you could be watching this on your smartphone.

If there’s a golden rule of crime prevention, it’s this: Make yourself a difficult target!

It’s not necessary to have the most secure home in the country, just the most secure home on the block.  Criminals who burglarize homes are looking for quick, easy scores, not challenges.

Unlike the sophisticated criminals who are often portrayed in the movies, most home invasions are crimes in which the items taken are small, portable, untraceable items like iPods, video game systems, jewelry, collectibles, and other items that are easily converted into cash.

Fortunately, by following the home security tips listed below, you can make your house unattractive to home burglars and send them looking elsewhere for an easier opportunity. That’s why the home security experts at Monitronics want to remind you of practical, common sense steps you can take to protect your home and your belongings this fall.

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