If you have some time to kill and you want some insight into why searching online for home security tips can be so frustrating, Google the following phrase: best home security strategies. The search engine will return plenty of links to helpful sites. But leave out the word ‘strategies’ and Google will instead return links pointing to devices, brands, product reviews, and the like.
Searching for the ‘best’ of anything is always dicey. You never know if search results are going to return valuable information or just a long list of websites trying to sell you things. The thing about home security is that defining the ‘best’ rarely has anything to do with brand or price.
The best home security is not tied to a single manufacturer or ecosystem. Rather, it’s all in the approach you take. Building the best possible security environment requires a multi-layered approach. It is not just about equipment. It’s about all of the steps you take to make your home more secure.
The Best Home Security in America
A while back, Vivint conducted a survey among more than 1800 residents in all fifty states. They were hoping to determine the best home security in America based on the strategies homeowners use to safeguard their properties. The top five states on their list were:
- Oklahoma
- Idaho
- Wyoming
- Vermont
- Indiana
Final rankings were based on respondent answers to twenty questions about home security. Vivint personnel scored the answers according to respondent security habits. Those who demonstrated more good habits, linked to a selection of variables, scored higher.
The result of the Vivint research was this: a multi-layered approach to security makes properties safer. The more layers in place, the better a property owner’s security. Their conclusions make perfect sense.
Multiple Layers Equal Multiple Defenses
A multi-layered approach to home security is rooted in the understanding that every layer equals another mode of defense. Every layer a criminal needs to work his way through makes it harder for him to accomplish his task. It’s as simple as understanding that multiple layers equal multiple defenses.
Think of some of the defense tactics used on WWII battlefields. Just to cross an open piece of land might require an army to navigate minefields, walls and fences, trenches, artificial mounds, and so forth. Each obstacle made it harder for an army to move forward.
Home security works the same way. A home equipped with five layers of defense is harder to breach than one whose only means of protection is a factory installed lock on the front door.
A Combination of Strategies
Adopting the multi-layer approach means adopting a combination of strategies that can be divided into several categories:
- Equipment – Home security equipment, like cameras and motion sensors, can make it more difficult for burglars to succeed.
- Maintenance – Simple home maintenance can make a significant difference. For example, keeping landscaping well-trimmed can act as a deterrent by providing a clear view of a house from the street.
- Prevention – Programming lights and other prevention strategies can keep criminals at bay.
- Lifestyle – Adopting and maintaining a more private lifestyle can make it more difficult for criminals to target you. The less they know about you, the better.
Home security equipment is valuable in the fight against burglary and other property crimes. But the best home security does not rely only on electronic devices and monitoring. It incorporates how property owners maintain their homes and protect their privacy. In the end, a multi-layered approach represents the best way to protect a home against criminals and the crimes they commit.
