3G Shutdown – What It Means And How Your Home Security System May Be Affected

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You may be aware that cellular carriers have announced they intend to fully “sunset” 3G technologies by 2022. 3G is short for “third-generation wireless technology,” which carriers are phasing out in favor of faster and more advanced technology like the 4G (LTE) and 5G networks.

Many security systems rely on local cellular carriers to communicate system activity with the monitoring station. It’s possible at the time of your installation, 3G was the optimal technology available in your area and you may need to schedule an onsite panel update.

How Will The 3G Shutdown Affect Your System?

Your home security system includes a cellular transmitter that is necessary to communicate with our central service station in the event of an emergency. If your device is currently reliant on 3G networks, it will no longer function when the 3G sunset takes place.

As a result of the 3G network shutdown, even if your alarm appears to function, it will no longer communicate with our central service station to notify us that emergency services are needed. Any devices that use 3G technology will no longer be supported and affected consumers will need to schedule an onsite panel update to avoid any potential disruptions.

You Already Received a Notice from Us About 3G Shutdown

We are keeping a close watch on all areas and systems that will be affected by 3G sunsetting. If you live in an area that will be affected, you should have already received a notice from us to schedule your update.

If you have already received communication from Boyd & Associates about updating your home security system, it is very important that you get in contact with us as soon as possible to avoid service interruption.

Boyd & Associates is Here to Guide You Through 3G Sunsetting

At Boyd & Associates, the protection and peace of mind of our customers are our top priority. If your security system is currently running on 3G, after 3G sunset, your system may lose its ability to communicate with our central monitoring station in the event of an emergency.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Even if you’re not sure if your area is affected by 3G sunsetting, contact us today to check. We want to ensure your home and family stay protected.

Although wireless carriers have published specific dates for 3G termination, this does not guarantee 3G services will be fully available until the sunset, meaning your system may be affected before then. It is common practice for carriers to reduce coverage during transition periods.

Take action today and avoid service disruptions!

Your Guide To Cellular Alarm Monitoring

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Have you ever wondered what really makes your security system tick? It all has to do with cellular alarm monitoring! This technology helps ensure your devices and security system stay connected to our central monitoring stations. With cellular alarm monitoring, the help you need is always nearby in the event of an emergency. Learn more about how it all works right here.

What is Cellular Alarm Monitoring?

Cellular alarm monitoring service is the new standard in home security monitoring. Operating on a dedicated cellular channel, the system sends a wireless signal via a secure, encrypted transmission to our central monitoring stations in case of an emergency. Additionally, cellular monitoring uses its own dedicated network to send and receive signals, so you do not need a cell phone to upgrade to cellular monitoring.

Are Landlines Obsolete?

Almost 25% of Americans now live in homes without a landline. And that figure doubles among young adults aged 25-29. While there is no hard cut-off date for landline termination, most will likely be retired in favor of more reliable, cost-effective, and flexible cellular communication.

What are the Benefits of Cellular Alarm Monitoring?

Cellular monitoring systems are easy to install without the need for drilling or rewiring in your home or business. As more people switched to cell phones as their primary source of communication, Cellular Monitoring became more relevant to the point where it’s now the standard for home security solutions.

Plus, with cellular alarm monitoring, you stay connected no matter what. Since it transmits on a separate, secure wireless network, your system remains in constant communication with the central station. Even when:

  • Power outages cut lines due to extreme weather
  • You change telephone service providers
  • Burglars cut your lines prior to an attempted break-in

Make the Most of Cellular Alarm Monitoring with Smart Home Upgrades

Like an amazing universal remote control, Smart Home automation from Boyd & Associates gives you the power to control not only your security system but all exterior door locks, interior and exterior lighting, as well as temperature control, from anywhere!

Upgrade today and turn your phone into a remote control for your home. With cellular monitoring and a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection, you have access to many additional features, such as:

  • Remote Arm & Disarm
  • Remote Lock & Unlock
  • Climate Control
  • Lighting Control
  • Live Streaming Video Surveillance
  • Real-Time Alerts

For More Security Tips and Solutions, Stick with Boyd & Associates

And if you’re looking for more ways to keep yourself and your family safe, check out our home security and automation services at Boyd & Associates. We offer a wide range of home security options to protect you and your family. If you’re ready to discuss our custom solutions, contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you prepare for what’s next.

How Safe is Your Garage?

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When going through a home security checklist, many neglect their garages. However, your garage can become a very unsafe place—quickly.

Want to know the best ways to keep your garage safe and secure? Consider the garage safety tips below to clean, organize, and monitor potential hazards within your garage.

  1. Organize and Declutter

For our first garage safety tip, tidying up an already chaotic garage can seem like a large undertaking, but doing so could help prevent potential injury to you and your family.

To organize, first categorize the types of items you store in the garage (i.e. tools, gardening supplies, sports gear, etc.). Next, evaluate storage options for each set. Shelving, cabinets, cubbies, and peg-boards help keep items off the ground and eliminate tripping hazards.

Furthermore, if you have vastly unused items in your garage that you cannot part with, consider self-storage solutions.

  1. Mitigate Fire Hazards

Garages are a leading place for fires to start. Each year there are approximately 6,600 garage fires in the United States. Oil and gasoline drips from cars and flammable liquids commonly found in garages are a formula for a dangerous situation. If you must store flammable material in the garage, do so only in small amounts.

To mitigate fire hazards in your garage, consider the following:

  • Store flammable materials away from electrical appliances.
  • Clean up any oil or gas spills in the garage immediately.
  • Ensure your garage has proper wiring. A spark from a short wire could be enough to start a fire.
  • Check that garage walls and ceilings are fire retardant. If not, consider renovating.
  • Don’t overload circuits.
  • Install a heat detector.
  • Always have a fire extinguisher on standby.
  1. Secure Power Tools and Dangerous Equipment

This garage safety tip is especially important if you have children or animals in the house. Accidentally knocking over or starting these tools can cause serious injuries to those who don’t know how to operate them. If you’re someone who has a lot of tools and likes to use the garage as a workspace, consider these tips:

  • Buy a locked cabinet to store all your dangerous tools and equipment.
  • Don’t share the cabinet key or leave it out in the open.
  • Don’t leave nails out in the open or near edges where they can fall onto the ground.
  • Always clean up your workspace whenever done for the day.
  • If you have children, teach them about being careful in the garage and why they shouldn’t play with the tools.
  1. Install Environmental Monitoring

When danger arises in your garage, you might not be able to detect it as quickly as if it were in the main home. This is why smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors are vitally important in diminishing garage dangers.

Carbon monoxide monitors are non-negotiable in attached garages that house cars. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas found in vehicle exhaust that can only be detected through a monitoring system. There are over 50,000 carbon monoxide related emergencies and 430 deaths each year in the United States.

  1. Avoid Security Vulnerabilities

In addition to the hazards that can present themselves, a garage can also cause security vulnerabilities—especially when attached to the home. Garages can hold valuables that are prime for taking as well as present access to the main home. To prevent this from happening:

  • Always close and lock the garage. This keeps your items out of sight and out of mind for burglars.
  • Keep the door connecting the garage to your house locked.
  • Invest in remote access control for the times you leave the home and forget to close and lock the garage.
  • Monitor the status of your garage door via your smartphone. Some smart garages can even send you an alert if the door is open too long, or at certain times of the day. You can also close the door remotely from your phone when away from home.
  • Install surveillance cameras in and around the garage.

To keep your home and family protected, you want to treat your garage like any other entry point. For more garage safety tips or to learn more about installing a home security system,  contact us today!

Is Carbon Monoxide Monitoring Right for Your Home?

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According to a study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NBCI), the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention reported over 15,000 carbon monoxide-related emergency department visits. While it is certainly a good idea to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, their presence alone is not enough. Without service to monitor any issues, you’re still leaving your loved ones and pets at risk. Here is what you need to know about carbon monoxide monitoring for your home.

Carbon Monoxide is an Invisible Menace

Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless poison gas that can be fatal when inhaled, often dubbed as a “silent killer”.

CO comes from many everyday household items, such as stoves, furnaces, heaters, fireplaces, and generators. While these items can provide comfort, they can also endanger you if not adequately covered.

The right carbon monoxide monitoring plan saves lives. Our systems allow you to correct a carbon monoxide problem immediately when it happens. In most cases, this is long before any health effects start to set in, allowing you to pinpoint the issue before it becomes truly hazardous.

Why Should You Get Carbon Monoxide Monitoring?

Lower levels of CO exposure (around 1,000 PPM) can leave you unconscious after one hour, but the highest levels of PPM exposure (10,000+ PPM) will kill you within minutes. Therefore, it’s important to receive a fast and immediate notification to help save lives.

The biggest benefit to having a monitored carbon monoxide alarm in your home is that it acts as an early warning system. As levels of carbon monoxide start to build up in the air, the system notifies you instantly when there is danger. Our support and monitoring team will also get in touch with you to discuss the situation and check to make sure you’re okay.

How Carbon Monoxide Monitoring Improves Emergency Response Times

The national response time in the United States is 15 minutes, 19.2 seconds, but having a security system can lessen that to up to four minutes. If the monitoring team notices levels that are abnormally high and they are not able to get in touch with you, they will dispatch emergency services to arrive at your home in minutes. In some situations, this can mean the difference between life and death.

Having a carbon monoxide detector in your home is not enough. Full-range monitoring is what makes your system a true protection mechanism for the overall safety of your family and the protection of your property.

Ready to learn more about carbon monoxide alarm monitoring? Contact our team at Boyd & Associates today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

Home Security System Test: Why it’s Important and How to Test

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How realistic would it be to expect a car that sat idle for three years to start up and operate perfectly? Or how about a home that sat vacant for five years? Would you expect the air conditioner to work? And it’s exactly why conducting a home security system test is so important.

Just like with any piece of mechanical equipment, periodic testing of your home security system is essential for optimal performance. In the event of an emergency, there are no second chances. Your security system and home fire alarm system must work flawlessly when needed.

How to Test Your Home Security System

Testing your home security service helps to ensure that your home security system will work properly. It identifies problem areas that may require attention from your home security company. You want to test alarm signals as they appear on your home security alarm system control panel and at the alarm monitoring center to ensure proper communication between both.

Procedures for testing your wireless home security system may vary by manufacturer. Consult your owner’s manual for more details. However, the general steps laid out here should work well for most systems. Be sure to keep your account number and unique personal identification password or code handy when speaking to your home security monitoring service.

You Should Conduct a Home Security System Test Each Month – Here’s How:

Call your home security monitoring service and request to put your system in ‘Test’ mode. This is an important step so when you send in a signal from your security system, they do not contact the emergency services.

Arm your security system. Once the system is fully armed, open a few doors or windows that are connected to the security system. Once the siren has sounded, wait for 45 seconds, then promptly disarm the system.

Call your home security monitoring service back to confirm they received the signal from your security system. Then, confirm you are ready to take your system off ‘Test’ mode.

Test All Sensors and Motion Detectors

Testing the signal between your panel and monitoring station is important, but it’s just one piece of the protection puzzle. Double checking that all of your installed sensors and motion detectors are also properly functioning ensures that your panel has something to communicate if and when the time comes. Here’s what to do:

  • First, verify that your system is in “Ready” mode and not armed. Disarm the system to avoid the deployment of emergency services.
  • Open each door and window where sensors are installed, doing so one at a time.
  • Check your panel. It should display the door or window that you are testing.
  • Close the door or window. Your panel should change back to “Ready” mode.
  • Repeat this process for each of your motion detectors.

Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

Testing your CO and smoke detectors regularly are other important pillars to your home and family’s safety. Test smoke and CO detectors monthly, and as a general rule, swap for fresh batteries annually. You don’t want to be at risk of a house fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. Here’s how to conduct a CO and smoke detector test:

Remember, when testing either detector, it should make a noise after pressing the “test” button.

If no noise occurs when pressing the test button, start by changing the batteries in the device.

If this doesn’t work, make sure to contact your home security system provider.

As an additional in-home test, you may consider canned smoke. Available to order online or from your local hardware store, canned smoke simulates real smoke interacting with your detectors in a safe way. It allows for a more hands-on test than simply pressing the “test” button.

For More Security and Tips and Solutions, Stick with Boyd & Associates

Preventative maintenance is the name of the game for making sure your home or business stays safe. After all, if the security system in place doesn’t function properly, how can you expect it to provide protection? Boyd & Associates recommends testing your system every 30 days.

And if you’re looking for more ways to keep yourself and your family safe, check out our home security and automation services at Boyd & Associates. We offer a wide range of home security options to protect you and your family. If you’re ready to discuss our custom solutions, contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you prepare for what’s next.

How to Protect Your Business on Black Friday

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With Black Friday fast approaching, businesses and shoppers are looking to score on holiday deals. Since there’s going to be larger foot traffic than usual, you must take the proper precautions to ensure the safety of your customers, employees, and business.

Although online shopping has grown significantly in recent years, there are still tons of people who head out to retail stores in person, especially where there are amazing deals. Along with physical security, business owners also have to keep the health and safety of their employees and customers in mind. Here’s how to ensure a safe Black Friday in 2021.

Establish Health and Safety Protocols

Black Friday is going to be a long and tough day for your employees. There’s going to be a lot of people moving in and out of your store throughout the day. You want your employees to feel safe and supported.

With COVID-19 still circulating, you want to establish a set of health and safety protocols for your store. Although there aren’t currently any mandates in most parts of the country, consider implementing procedures your employees feel comfortable with, such as supply enough hand sanitizer for employees and customers, requiring masks in the store, etc. Here are the CDC recommendations for businesses for further details.

Prepare and Educate Your Employees

In addition to safety tips, you want to prepare your employees on how to handle Black Friday. This is especially important for new hires who haven’t worked one before.

The best way to prepare your team is to hire early. When employees are comfortable with the job, they are better equipped to handle face-paced and high-stress situations. Since Black Friday is only a few weeks away, you want to start the onboarding process now if you haven’t done so already.

Another key tip is to establish clear expectations for the day. If you own or operate a store with multiple departments, then you want to assign team members to their respective departments days in advance. So, when Black Friday finally arrives, they know exactly where they need to be and their respective role for the day.

And lastly, be prepared to step in and help on the floor. It can get chaotic during Black Friday. However, when employees see their managers or even the owner on the floor helping customers, that sets a great example for the entire team.

Have a Security System Covering Your Store

Keeping track of all the people in your store during Black Friday is a near-impossible task. Fortunately, one of the best ways for businesses to deter criminal activity is with a surveillance system. Security cameras not only deter crime but can also help with investigations in the case a burglary occurs. For placement, you want to have security cameras covering your main points of entry, as well as the products you have on the floor.

If you’re not sure the best way to set your security cameras or monitor your system, consider partnering with a security provider. At Boyd & Associates, we service small to medium-sized and even large businesses. We can keep your business protected this Black Friday and the other 364 days in the year. Contact us today to learn more about our commercial security solutions.

Halloween Safety Tips

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Planning to trick or treat this year? Halloween is a night when some of our best childhood memories are created…just so long as things are fun scary, not actually scary. With a bit of planning, you can keep everyone safe this October. Make sure your children have an enjoyable, secure celebration with these child safety tips on Halloween.

Design Costumes for Visibility

Glow sticks, flashlights, and even reflector tape can help to ensure that any drivers see your children in the street. Incorporating these safety features into the theme of your child’s costume might take a little creativity, but they often can add another layer to really take the festivities up a notch. Think a glowing ghost or the bright lights of a Star Wars character. Plus, it’ll give you that extra peace of mind.

Also keep in mind that makeup is generally preferable to a mask, which can obstruct your child’s vision and put them at risk.

Take it Slow

Slowing things down a bit is a key safety tip on Halloween. Be sure kids walk slowly rather than run from home to home, especially as they cross neighborhood streets. While everyone is on the lookout for trick-or-treaters, children can dart in front of motorists, who may not have enough time to react. Try to plan to spend the evening in a neighborhood you know has sidewalks and is particularly active with other trick-or-treaters. These areas are less likely to cause potential risks with motorists.

Make Eye Contact with Drivers

A good habit to generally teach the kids: when crossing the street, make eye contact with the driver to make sure that they acknowledge you before you step into the street. And nothing beats the golden rule of intersections: always look both ways before you cross!

Know Where to Go

If your kids are getting to the age where they can trick-or-treat without an adult escort, make sure they stick to familiar areas and that you know the route they will be taking. Sharing their location on smartphones is an easy way to keep tabs on their whereabouts.

If you need to make a trip by car, drive slowly, and turn your headlights on early in the evening so that you can see the kids, and the kids can see you.

Home Safety Tips on Halloween

Halloween night can be easy pickings for burglars since they already know that so many families are out and about. Not to mention, they can knock on your door to see if you’re home without drawing suspicion. If your home isn’t passing out candy and welcoming visitors, keep an eye on things while you’re out with your home automation features.

For More Home Security Tips and Solutions, Stick with Boyd & Associates

The safety of all children comes first on Halloween. With some basic precautions, you can help to ensure a safe, fun night out, and with Boyd & Associates, you can rest assured that your home is safe.

And if you’re looking for more ways to keep yourself and your family safe, check out our home security and automation services at www.boydsecurity.com. We offer a wide range of home security options to protect you and your family. If you’re ready to discuss our custom solutions, contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you prepare for what’s next.

Small Business Security Systems – Protection for the Little Guy

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Here at Boyd & Associates, we love small businesses. They’re the backbone of our economies, our cities, and our country! For that reason, we wanted to talk about how security systems can help out. Despite what you may think, small business security systems feature the same power and features as their big business counterparts – often they’re just less complex.

Small Business Security Systems

Intrusion Protection for Small Business

Intruders are just as much a problem for small businesses as they are for others. And the solutions are the same as well!  An intrusion alarm allows us to monitor your property when you aren’t there, keeping your property, people, and product safe and secure. Detection devices in our complete commercial business security systems include:

  • Door contacts
  • Motion sensors
  • Photoelectric beams (often used for large spaces like storage yards or warehouses)
  • Glass break detectors
  • Panic buttons

Video Surveillance for Small Business

Video surveillance is a powerful tool for businesses of any size. A well-designed video surveillance system is comprised of HD-quality IP cameras covering every angle of your business. These not only provide higher security over the business but are powerful tools for increasing the productivity and efficiency of employees, processes, and customer service. And it provides business owners with protection in case of insurance claims for injury etc. It’s a boost no matter the size of your business!

Features of our video surveillance security systems for businesses include:

  • Scalable solutions – start while your business is small, it can grow with you!
  • Sophisticated software, but simple to use
  • Long-range video detection
  • Wireless video detection systems options
  • Remote access from anywhere using a smart device
  • Digital Recording

Access Control for Small Businesses

Access control might be the place where businesses can practice a bit more discretion – but there are still benefits! Access control is crucial for the physical security of the building and allows for more fine-tuning of the control to who gets in and when. A simple key and lock don’t provide the fine-tuning that a real access control system does – such as who can access the building, what days and time, and more. Typically, small businesses don’t have as many different roles within the business structure or areas in their business space so they don’t need as robust an access control system – but even a simple one can do wonders.

Video Verification for Small Businesses

Standard, bare minimum small business security systems can have false alarms frequently. Because of this, many jurisdictions require some sort of verification before there’s a response from emergency services. Using monitoring and video verification services for your small business means that any alarm is verified and ensures a priority response from police, so your alarms don’t go unnoticed.

Business Security Systems for California Businesses – Large or Small

When you’re searching for the best in small business security systems in the Southern California area, Boyd & Associates is here to help. These are just four of the big picture services we offer our clients to keep their businesses running smoothly and operating safely. We also provide automation and fire safety services – because running a small business is difficult enough, you should be able to rely on your security team!

Our easy-to-use security systems use advanced tech to deliver a higher level of protection – for your customers, your employees, your property, your business. Give us a call today if you want to take advantage of a fully automated security system you can control with the tap of a finger from an online portal or app on your smartphone.

 

Top 10 Home Security Mistakes

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Are you making common mistakes that could leave your property or family vulnerable to theft or attack?  Here are our top 10 home security mistakes you simply must avoid:

  1. Leaving Doors and Windows Unlocked

Security mistakes 101, lock the doors to your home! Almost all thieves can enter a home through an unlocked door or window. What is the point of having locks if they aren’t locked? Burglars walk around testing doorbells and door handles all day. 30% of all burglaries occur through an unlocked door or window. Stay in the habit of keeping your doors and windows locked, and you might avoid opportunistic thieves.

  1. Installing Cheap Locks

Cheap locks are just that. Cheap. This is arguably the most important of all security mistakes affecting burglaries every day. Keep in mind when you’re shopping around for security locks that over 33% of home burglaries occur through the front door. Hardware stores have a wide variety of locks at a wide variety of prices, and you should invest in some good quality deadbolt locks and entry doors.

  1. Hiding Your Keys

Easily one of the silliest security mistakes in this day and age is not taking care of where you hide the keys. A burglar knows they are under the mat, in the mailbox, or under that flowerpot, and chances are someone may have been watching you. It’s probably not the wisest idea in this day and age to hide your keys anyway. You should consider installing a keyless entry system that will provide you with top-notch security while still allowing easy access.

  1. Allowing Valuables to Be Visible from Outside

Look through the windows of your home from outside. Can you see your television, computer, or other electronic valuables? If you can, would-be thieves can, and there’s nothing like the sight of some unguarded bounty to tempt burglars. Draw your shades and curtains or move your electronics to an area where they aren’t visible from the street. And when you’ve just unwrapped your new television screen, don’t leave the box outside where someone might see it as an invitation to target your brand new purchase. Flatten the box and dispose of it inside a trash bag for privacy.

  1. Not Arming your Alarm

If you were smart enough to get an alarm system, it won’t do you any good if you don’t arm it. Always activate it when you are going to sleep, on vacation, or out, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. If you do not have a system, consider getting one as soon as possible. According to one study, 1 out of 5 burglars reported cutting phone lines before attempting to burglarize a home. Also, consider getting a wireless setup. It would be the best choice in this scenario.

  1. Ladders in the Yard

Ladders are one of the best tools of the trade. A ladder serves as the red carpet to the second floor of your home. If you happen to have upper levels, make sure you don’t leave any ladders in the yard below, and don’t leave upstairs windows unlocked either. Lock away your ladder in the storage shed or garage.

  1. Posting your Vacation Plans on Social Media

Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends and family, but never advertise when your home will be empty or when you’ll be out of town.

A recent survey found that as many as 75% of convicted burglars used social media to target their victims. Avoid using apps with location-sharing features too. You simply never know who could be watching your social media updates waiting to pounce.

  1. Allowing your Home to Appear Vacant

You don’t want newspapers and mail piling up outside. This is the easiest way for burglars to identify your home as being empty. Try to maintain your home’s “lived-in” look. Pay someone to cut the grass, clean the yard and trim the bushes. Ask your neighbor or someone else to collect and hold your mail while you’re away. Install timers on lights so your home is always “occupied.”

  1. Leaving the Garage Door Open All Day

Unlocked garage doors are easy to access to the rest of the home, and just because it is closed doesn’t mean a burglar won’t just walk right and try it anyway. An open garage door invites entry and access to your property. Always keep garage doors and home garage access doors locked.

  1. Trying to DIY or Self Monitor your Home Security System

There is some peace of mind from at least having a security system. However, without professional alarm monitoring, there’s always the risk you might miss an important notification or not alert authorities in time. Monitored smoke, heat, intrusion, panic, or medical alerts need immediate attention. With a professionally monitored security system, the alarm center can call for help even when you can’t, often within a matter of seconds. This response has proved to save lives and property. Having that responsibility on your shoulders while trying to enjoy a vacation, during an important meeting, or sleeping deeply is an unnecessary burden and potentially costly.

Everybody makes mistakes, it’s normal. But you can learn from other’s mistakes too instead of repeating them. Remember to lock up and follow these easy fundamentals to avoid the most common home security mistakes and enjoy some peace of mind and a safer home.

Burglary Prevention: 7 Signs Your Home Is A Target

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One of the major keys to burglary prevention is awareness. And much of that awareness comes from understanding the ways in which your home may be a target for would-be intruders. There are many tell-tale signs to watch out for, and some are less obvious than others. For your home burglary prevention, here are 7 signs to look out for that may indicate your home is a target for burglars.

  1. Strangers Surveying Your Property

This one might be a little more obvious, and will also depend greatly on your neighborhood or general area you live in. Is it heavily populated? Is it normal to see people you don’t know? You shouldn’t be paranoid every time a stranger walks by your house. But there’s a major difference between someone passing through, or even taking a passing glance at your home or property, and someone potentially surveying your home for a future break-in.

And, if you notice someone suspiciously snooping around or intruding on your property in a way that makes you feel comfortable, take note and even call your local police if necessary. Burglary prevention is a community effort; be sure to share with neighbors any suspicious activity and work together to keep one another safe.

  1. Random Strangers Knocking On Your Door

It sounds simple, but one of the oldest tricks to get into someone’s home is to just knock on the front door. Maybe this mystery guest asks to use the bathroom or even tries to sell you a fake product. Always trust your gut in these instances; you don’t have to answer the door for everyone. And always be wary of any strangers that ask to enter your home.

A great SmartHome solution for burglar prevention is a doorbell camera. Screen visitors before you ever answer the door and have video evidence on-hand of any suspicious activity.

  1. Uncertified Workers

You may contract for work to be done on your home, whether on the interior or for outside projects. But make sure all the workers are certified. In some instances, a burglar may see workers coming and going and use it as a chance to survey or even to enter your home. You should know the scale of the project at hand and the size and specifics of the personnel doing the work. Always make sure to contact the company if you are unsure of a worker’s legitimacy.

  1. Unsolicited Fundraisers 

Much like random strangers knocking, other burglary prevention comes from being aware of who is right at your front door. A twelve-year-old girl selling Girl Scout Cookies may not be a threat to your home, but other solicitors should always be treated with caution. Burglars are looking for any opportunity to see the inside of your home and any potential valuables and points of access.

  1. Strangers Taking Photos Of Your Home

These days, everyone is a photographer. With advances in smartphones, it’s easier than ever for anyone to stealthily take photos. And that ease makes it a great tool for burglars to canvas your house and create an intrusion plan. If you see anyone take a picture of your home, you need to immediately act. Notify local law enforcement, document what you see, and share with your neighbors and community leaders. Two can play the photo game; if possible, take a picture of the suspicious photographer as well. Just be sure to do so safely.

  1. Stickers Or Flyers

Promotional flyers or coupons and menus from local establishments aren’t necessarily a burglary threat. But if you’re noticing a higher volume of stickers or flyers on your front door, or stickers and flyers you don’t recognize, it could be a sign of potential danger. A burglar may attempt to use this method to see if a home is well guarded or not.

This, of course, is not always a signal that someone is trying to break into your home, but it is something to keep an eye out for. If you’re going to be away for a period, have a neighbor check in on your home to ensure nothing is piling up on the front lawn.

  1. Strange Markings On Your Home

Many burglars will use subtle markings to identify a house they are casing. This could be a simple symbol like a string placed on the house or a marking on your lampposts. If you see any unexplained marking that doesn’t appear to have happened naturally or accidentally, move it immediately.

For More Security Tips And Solutions, Stick With Boyd & Associates

It’s important you’re aware of what is going on around your neighborhood. You can protect your home and your neighbors by keeping an eye on anything that may seem out of place. Communicate with your neighbors so they can be aware as well.

And if you’re looking for more ways to keep yourself and your family safe, check out our home security and automation services. We offer a wide range of home security options to protect you and your family. If you’re ready to discuss our custom solutions, contact us today to learn more about how we can help you prepare for what’s next.