Home Invasions on the Rise

Knowledge is both power and prevention, and the best way to protect yourself from the threat of home invasion is to know everything there is to know about it.

This post aims to educate you on home invasions – when, why, and how they happen – and inform you of the preventative measures you can take to keep your home safe.

Home invasions are different than your usual break-and-enter burglary. Per Wikipedia :

Home invasion differs from burglary in having a violent intent, specific or general, much the same way as aggravated robbery - personally taking from someone by force - is differentiated from mere larceny (theft alone).

Some states, Louisiana included, have addressed the epidemic by defining home invasion as a specific kind of crime, differentiating it from some types of burglary or robbery; per Louisiana RS 14:62.8 Home Invasion:

Home invasion is the unauthorized entering of any inhabited dwelling, or other structure belonging to another and used in whole or in part as a home or place of abode by a person, where a person is present, with the intent to use force or violence upon the person of another or to vandalize, deface, or damage the property of another.

In other words, a home invasion happens when a person is in the house that is being broken into. For this reason – the direct contact with a perpetrator – home invasions are one of the most terrifying and dangerous types of property crimes.

On The Rise

According to Sentinel Security Group, who compiled statistics from the FBI per the NCVS (National Victimization Data Survey) and UCS (Uniform Crime Reports):

• 38% of all assaults occur during a home invasion
• 60% of all rapes occur during a home invasion

Security expert, Jordan Frankel – also known as The Security Sensei  – of Global Security Experts says  that 1 out of every 5 homes will encounter a violent home intrusion or burglary. He believes a rise in home invasions are a result of increased security measures – such as security cameras and monitored alarm systems – becoming the norm rather than the exception in previous commercial targets. Per Frankel:

Due to the increased security of commercial businesses, houses and apartments are considered much easier targets by criminals. Home invaders also know that many homeowners and renters still don't have alarm systems. In fact, it's the home without security devices that they look for when deciding on their next target.

Don't Think It Can't Happen to You

Doing a quick Google News search for "home invasion" will turn up dozens of recent reports, some just a couple of hours old, about home invasions that have happened all over the country.

Home invasions can happen anywhere and to anyone – from a father of five, killed in a Rock Hill, NC home invasion to a Hollywood actor in Los Angeles, CA, who confronted an intruder in his home after returning from the SAG awards. Here locally and just three days ago, a man in Ponchatoula shot a man he found burglarizing his home after the burglar pulled a gun on him.

No one is immune to a home invasion. In fact, the FBI states 13% of all homes are burglarized every year, and 85% of those are through the front door.

An intruder doesn't just have to force his way in. There are far too many horror stories of victims who were overtaken in their homes by the simple act of opening the door to a stranger – one who needs to supposedly use the phone or is dressed as maintenance or delivery person or even a police officer. In their article on home invasions, the Professor's House blog gives these tips for what to do when you hear a knock on the door:

• Always check to see who is there before you answer the door.
• Always respond so the person knows someone is home.
• Do not open the door to anyone you do not know. Remember, you do not have to open the door to anyone.
• Ask for identification. Once you have seen it, ask for secondary identification such as a telephone number that you can call to verify the person's status.
• Pretend there are other people in the house by calling out someone's name. Keep your radio or television on.
• If you see any suspicious persons, activities, or vehicles in your area, do not be afraid to call 911.

The Security Sensei notes that "it's the home without security devices that they look for when deciding on their next target", so naturally the best protection you can have is a security system  - especially one installed and monitored by a professional company. Even if the intruder does get inside and tells you to disarm the alarm, you can – instead – type in a duress code that will immediately notify the authorities that you are in danger.

It's What We've Been Doing for 35 Years

Consider Alarm Center for protecting your home and business. We have been keeping local residents safe since 1978, are locally owned and operated, and take great pride in continuing to offer protection and security to thousands of satisfied customers. We offer flexible solutions for all your security needs, whether you're a home or business owner. We work with each client individually to build a protection plan tailored to your specific needs. In addition to no up-front costs (with approved credit), you can fill out our online form for a Free Estimate on our Comprehensive Homeowner's Package.

[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]

How a Monitored Security System Can Benefit Your Business

In 2011, there were 4,220 burglaries of residences and businesses in the Baton Rouge area alone. Larceny - taking away someone's personal property while trespassing on private property – affected 7,947 home and business owners.

Every day more homeowners are choosing to have a monitored alarm system installed in their homes, making their homes three times less likely to be broken into. With the rise of property-related crimes in Baton Rouge in the last few months, business owners would be wise to, also, consider getting a monitored alarm system installed in their establishments.

Having security cameras and a keypad installed in your business and being monitored by a reputable, local alarm company can not only keep you safe from after-hour burglaries, but can help protect your employees and assets. A monitored alarm system does not just protect from thieves, but can also safeguard from fire and vandalism. Business owners should also check with their insurance providers, as they sometimes offer discounts to businesses that have a professionally-installed security system.

One of the key benefits of having an alarm system is having total Access Control over your business and property. A business with multiple employees can assign a separate access code for each employee, allowing the business owner to log who is coming and going, and when. Also, lost or stolen keys are a problem of the past.

According to About.com's "Do I Need Electronic Access Control?":

You can evaluate your need for EAC by asking these three questions:

1. Do I need an audit trail, i.e. a time and date stamped record of every opening or attempted opening of a door?
2. Should different employees have different access privileges based on time and day?
3. Does a lost or stolen key represent an immediate security threat to my facility?

Answering yes to any of those questions can justify the investment in an EAC system.

Our U.L. Listed and Approved Central Station is located right here in Baton Rouge and monitors and processes your alarm system's signals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Even during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Issac, we never went offline. Depending on the signal received, we will dispatch the Police, Fire Department, or an Ambulance and notify you within seconds of an event.

Give us a call today - (225) 292-5276 -  to see what we can do for you in helping to make your business safer and better protected, or consider switching to us from your regular alarm company and get 6 months free!

[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]

Who's In Your Fridge When You Aren't Home?

I once knew an insurance adjuster who worked in the burglary division of his agency and I'll never forget the day he said to me, "You'd be surprised at who's been in your fridge eating that cold fried chicken."

I have never been able to shake that image in my head of someone in my home when I wasn't there, eating out of my fridge, sitting in my favorite chair, rifling through my drawers, and invading my private space. It made me realize it was naïve to think that my home was safe and secure behind my flimsy lock and easily kicked-in deadbolt.  

People's homes get broken into every single day, and though we believe it could never happen to us, I'd imagine all those who have suffered through a home invasion once thought the same thing.

Though we may want to believe we are immune to such misfortune, the odds are not in our favor.  In the U.S., a burglar breaks into a home every 15 seconds.  According to the FBI, 62% of those burglaries occur during the day, between 9am-3pm, when most people are at work and their homes are left unoccupied and are more vulnerable to an invasion. 

Here locally we have cause for even more concern.  Of all the burglaries that occur in the United States, almost half of them - 45% - occur in the South.  

Louisiana itself, especially in and around the Baton Rouge area, has a notoriously high crime rate.  Statistics state that you have a 1 in 27 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in this state; in fact, of the 12,666 property crimes committed in Louisiana in 2011, 4,220 of them were burglary of a residence or business.

And yet, there is something you can do to prevent you and your family becoming a victim.  In contrast to the frightening stats above, it is proven that homes which have a fully-monitored alarm system are 3 times less likely to be burglarized.  If that isn't incentive in these times we live in, I don't know what is!

[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]

Crime in Louisiana Infographic

If you have trouble viewing the image full size, click on this link: Full-size infographic.

Just How Bad Is Crime in Louisiana?

In 2010, LPB's monthly public affairs program, Louisiana Public Square, did a comprehensive special on the staggering crime rate in Louisiana and, most specifically, Baton Rouge (their findings were published in a report titled "Combating Crime in Louisiana"). The program covered what local government and law enforcement, along with average citizens, were doing to stem the tide.

It's a tide that needs stemming.  A 2008 Wikipedia entry on Crime in Louisiana stated:

Louisiana by far is the worst state for lethal violence. Its per capita murder rate has led all states annually for 22 consecutive years (1989–2010) according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. 

That was in 2008; surely things have improved, right?

Yes and no.  While overall crime - specifically violent crime - has seen a slight downward trend in Louisiana, the state continues to rank as one of the highest crime-rated states in the U.S.

In Baton Rouge, specifically, things are still far from "safe".  NeighborhoodScout gives Baton Rouge a score of 3 out of 100 (with 100 being the safest).  It goes on (emphasis mine):

With a crime rate of 67 per one thousand residents, Baton Rouge has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 15. Within Louisiana, more than 92% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Baton Rouge. 

In February 2012, the Baton Rouge Police Department issued their 2011 Crime Statistics.  While violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, assault) has declined by 2.6%, crimes against property (burglary, larceny, arson, motor vehicle theft) were up 1.6%.  NeighborhoodScout goes on (emphasis mine):

...a lot of the crime that takes place in Baton Rouge is property crime. Property crimes that are tracked for this analysis are burglary, larceny over fifty dollars, motor vehicle theft, and arson. In Baton Rouge, your chance of becoming a victim of a property crime is one in 18, which is a rate of 56 per one thousand population.

It is encouraging that our government and law enforcement officials are aware of this problem and are working together to try and make our state a safer place, but it is important that each of us takes the necessary steps to keep our home and property, and especially our loved ones, safe.  Visit Crime in America's informative post "Crime Prevention Tips That Work - Keeping You and Your Family Safe" for advice and tips on doing just that.  To view the full Louisiana Public Square broadcast "Combating Crime in Louisiana", click here.

[Call Alarm Center Security today for a FREE quote on a security system for your home or business - 1-800-97-ALARM - or visit our website to see if you qualify for a $0 down installation - alarm.net]