Video Security Systems for Your Home

Everyone wants their homes to be as safe as possible and video security systems are one more way to do just that. There are many reasons that individuals decide to beef up their household safety measures. Perhaps there have been a string of unsolved crimes in the region. If burglaries or home invasions have happened in one's own neighborhood, it will definitely spur everyone in the neighborhood on to improve their security plans. Here are some ways to keep your belongings, family and house safer.

- Deadbolts and locks: Some individuals may forget to lock their doors on a regular basis. This is especially true if they were raised in a small town and everything seemed safe. In the big city or when a crime wave has been occurring, it's crucial to lock up each and every time the family steps out. A regular doorknob lock is not enough. Those are quite easy to pick by the most amateur criminal. Deadbolts are much more secure.

- Make sure locks are high quality: Old fashioned door locks were not as well designed as modern devices. The older models can be jimmied open by a burglar by simply breaking off edges of a house-key and jamming it into the lock to pop it open. This is also known as lock bumping. The newer devices are much sturdier and resistant to being bumped open.

- Outdoor lighting and surveillance cameras: If a house is in a high crime area, having an outdoor light that senses motion and spotlights the yard can be a fine measure of scaring off would-be-robbers. Better yet, having a video camera to catch them in the act can be even more effective. Be sure to have signs posted that say "smile you're on camera!"

- Windows: Windows are another way robbers get into homes to make off with the goods. Installing locking devices including bars or wooden dowels in window sills will keep them from being slid open.

- Alarms: Having an alarm system installed can be a helpful method of keeping the place secured. When alarms are set in place, they are hard wired and ready to send an alert to the monitoring station and police.

- Indoor video security systems: Another way video security systems can protect a home and its inhabitants is by monitoring the goings on of household employees. If there is a nanny watching the children or a maid cleaning, having the nanny-cam ready to check on everyone's behavior can be helpful.

- Dogs: A natural way to protect one's abode is by getting a dog or two. Dogs can be man's and woman's best friends but they can also be a burglar's worse nightmare. Just the sound of a barking dog inside a house might make the bad guys go away.

Keeping one's property, family and house safe from intruders and making sure the household staff is minding their P's and Q's can be achieved with a variety of measures. Locks, motion sensing lights, outdoor surveillance cameras, alarms, video security systems and barking dogs can all do the trick.