Hello Readers,
My name is Able Aguilar of All-Guard Systems. We are Sonoma County’s leading alarm provider with local offices on Dutton Ave in Santa Rosa. All-Guard is a local, family-owned company that has been in business for 60 years protecting home and commercial alike in Northern California. We specialize in Fire Alarms, Intrusion Security Systems, Video Surveillance, & Access Control. Today I am happy to be partnering with Barber’s Insurance and sharing some burglary facts and how to make your home safer.
2017 statistics from FBI Crime Count show a home is burglarized every 28 seconds in the US. Digging a little deeper into our own community using the Lexis Nexis Community Crime Map, In Santa Rosa alone there about 130 burglaries reported between March and December of 2019, followed closely by Sebastopol & Petaluma. That number doubles as you get into Marin County and triples when looking at Vallejo.
https://communitycrimemap.com/
From interviewing convicted criminals we learn that 83% of burglars have admitted they specifically look for an alarm when choosing a home, meaning they are 2.7 times more likely to choose a home without an alarm. Statistics show that 32% of intrusions happen at the front door, 22% at the back door, 26% at front window, and another 10% at the garage. In total a whooping 95% of intrusion requires some sort of forceful entry by broken glass, etc. We find that 52% of burglaries happen in the same neighborhood within 30 days, meaning most burglaries are return trips. The average loss in a residential burglary is around $2,750 in loss.
So what can we do as a community to improve the our sense of security? Our local Crime Prevention officer Karen Hancock meets with neighborhood crime watches. Be a good neighbor and agree to watch each other’s houses, see what it takes to form your own neighborhood watch.
In your own home start by installing dowels or blocks in the track of any sliding glass windows or doors, it makes them un-operable even if left unlocked. Protect your back and side yards by putting a combination lock on any gate entrances. Put the ladder away in the shed or garage, most burglars don’t carry their own ladders but don’t make it easy for them by leaving one in the backyard! Make your front yard less appealing by removing overgrown bushes or structures that could provide cover to front facing windows or the porch. Go the extra mile and install a heavy strike plate at the entry doors into your home. If you are leaving on vacation have a friend pick up any mail or packages so it doesn’t visibly pile up. If you choose a security system, make sure you can automate and schedule lighting or the TV to give your home a lived-in look even while away. Put your video cameras and yard signs in obvious places as a visual warning to deter an intrusion. And lastly take photos of your valuables and make they are covered in your insurance policy!
If you have any questions about crime in your area, or how to secure your home and business. Please reach out to me at Aaguilar@AllGuardSystems.com or drop me a call at (707)321-8968. Thank you!