If you’re a pet lover you probably can’t imagine a more terrifying experience than coming home to find your pet missing. It’s growing increasingly common for dogs to be stolen from homes or yards for any number of disturbing reasons such as “bait dogs” to train fighting dogs, animal testing and biomedical experimentation, or the offer of a lucrative reward to name a few.

Purebred dogs are the most common victim since their pedigrees have actual “street value.” As purebred dogs become increasingly popular, stolen dogs can be sold for up to half the price that legitimate breeders offer ownership.

If you have an alarm system in your home, your dog’s safety is also protected while he or she is inside. And even better, if you have an outside pet, install a security camera in your yard so that would-be thieves will see the camera and possibly be dissuaded from following through with the actual abduction.

Should you be the unfortunate victim of such a frightening crime, take immediate action by calling your local police and animal control center and filing a report. After that, contact your local shelters and monitor pet ads listed in newspapers and online since pet thieves who are looking to profit will most likely be using these resources to promote the sale.

The bottom line is that your pet is more than likely an important member of your family. And just as you make sure that your family members are protected with a home security system, your four-legged companion deserves the same security, too!

It’s common knowledge among law enforcement agencies that July is the month of the year that sees the most crime with regard to home invasions since most people typically use this month for vacation, leaving the home unoccupied.

Similarly, the back-to-school season can leave homes equally unoccupied between time spent away shopping for clothes and supplies or even the eventual long hours during the day when occupants are at school.

Why not use this time of year to make sure that you’ve included some lesson plans of your own by making sure your home security system has the technology you need to keep this otherwise busy time of year running smoothly and safely?

For example, there are now advances in home security technology that can alert you via a text message or email when a major event happens at your home such as a child leaving for or coming home from school.

Or how about technology that allows you to arm or disarm your system remotely through a computer or phone? That means if a child accidently forgets to arm the system when leaving for school you can still make sure your home is protected by setting the alarm yourself from work. How’s that for peace of mind?

Closing thoughts

As summer winds down it can sometimes be easy to let your guard down. Instead, make sure that your home stays as protected as it needs to be year round by incorporating the latest technology being offered by home alarm monitoring companies such as ADT.

While it is most common to think of theft in relation to property crime, identify theft is on the increase and becoming one of the fastest growing crimes in America, witnessing a 22% increase from 2007.

So, just as it’s important to protect your physical property from would-be intruders through the use of burglar or other alarm monitoring systems, it’s equally important to protect your identity from wrong doers.

Following are some categories of identity theft as provided by the Federal Trade Commission (ranked from highest to lowest in frequency of occurrence):

• Credit card fraud
• Utilities fraud
• Bank fraud
• Other types of fraud
• Employment fraud
• Loan fraud
• Government fraud

In 2008, there were 10 million victims of identity theft with each individual spending an average of 330 hours to correct the damage caused by the theft.

Reports also indicate that even though we live in a high-tech world, low-tech methods are still the most popular method for stealing identity, with stolen documents and wallets accounting for 43% of methods used.

Identity Theft Can Occur at Home

What this means is that just as an intruder can come into your home to steal your electronics, they can also take documents that might help them to steal your identity.

A television can be replaced by a simple trip to an electronics store, whereas it could take weeks and months to repair the theft of your identity.

So, if you think you don’t need a home alarm system since tangible items are easily replaced, think again: your wallet or other important papers are just as vulnerable as any physical object in a home invasion.

If you’re like most people, you run around in the morning trying to get to work or school and sometimes forget to arm your home security system when leaving because there’s already so much on your mind.

Chances are you then do one of two things: you either backtrack home to arm the system or you spend all day fretting over the “what ifs” of life. Either way, neither scenario is ideal.

Fortunately, you now have a third option that is less stressful and a whole lot more productive: arm your system remotely.

Yes, you read that right. Thanks to advances in home security technology you can now arm or disarm your alarm system remotely through the use of your cell phone or computer.

That means you’ll no longer have to fret all day or spend time heading home, but it’s also a great resource for another reason.

If a situation changes at home where you need to disarm your system midday for a contractor or anyone else you want to allow access to your home, you can now disarm your alarm without revealing your code.

Your list of things to do in the morning just got a lot shorter thanks to advances offered by certain alarm systems.

Why not take advantage of the latest technologies being offered by some security providers such as ADT and either upgrade your system or install an initial one that has streamlined efficiencies such as those mentioned?

Most of us remember the days of science fiction films where the technology being shown seemed totally out of reach. Not so when it comes to wireless home security alarm systems that are becoming increasingly commonplace in today’s high-tech fast-paced world.

Now, instead of having an arm full of groceries, kids, or pets and still trying to input your manual code at a wall-mounted keypad (juggling all the way), you can simply use a key fob to remotely arm or disarm your system. How’s that for an almost hands-free process?

Additionally,  systems monitored by names such as ADT now allow you to arm or disarm your home alarm system from your cell phone and computer – regardless of where you’re located. That means if you get a call mid-afternoon that a contractor needs to gain access to your home, you no longer have to take time away from work to run home to disarm your system, or even more risky, to reveal your alarm code.

With advanced features being offered you simply disarm your alarm system via your cell phone or computer, and when you know the contractor has left )often-times by receiving a text alert from your system) you simply rearm you alarm the same way – through your cell phone or computer! Pretty easy, wouldn’t you agree?

If you’ve been thinking about installing an alarm system or have a system that doesn’t include this new easy-to-use technology, now might be the time to consider either installation or an upgrade.

It’s always a time of interest when the FBI releases their Annual Crime Statistics Uniform Crime Report (UCR), and the good news for homeowners is that the FBI’s 2010 numbers indicated an average 2.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes over the previous year.

This might indicate that the need for home alarm systems is not as imperative as it once was, but an FBI spokesman commented “there are many factors that go into crime levels” such as economic conditions, and since the country’s economic condition continues to struggle, these declining numbers may once again shift.

As such, home alarm systems might become more of a factor.

Home Alarm Systems Could Contribute to Decreased Statistics

Another item to consider is that statistics may be one thing, but home alarm systems that ring through to 24/7 monitoring systems like ADT are another – and the protection offered by home alarm systems such as those should never be minimized.

The Sign that Deters

Another item the report does not cover is whether yard signage provided by some home alarm monitoring companies like ADT helps as a deterrent to property crime. Still, one must agree that that such signage does deter would-be intrusions.

Knowing all of this, the message seems clear:  the signage provided by home alarm companies should be prominently displayed to dissuade would-be intruders.

Most people probably don’t think that trimming shrubbery or trees is a measure of home security, but surprisingly, it is.

Overgrown trees and shrubs can prove problematic for two reasons:

1. Tall trees can become a natural lightening rod during inclement weather, as well as having the potential to crash into a home during heavy wind storms such as hurricanes or tornadoes.  Once the structure of the home has been compromised, it is open to invasion not only from the natural elements, but to those of a criminal nature, as well.
2. Overgrown shrubs around windows and doors serve as the perfect hiding place for would-be intruders to plant themselves while either casing the residence or waiting for an opportune time to gain entry.  Additionally, tall tree limbs that rub against a home can provide easy second-story window access for would-be intruders, and since second-story windows are frequently left unlocked, this scenario occurs far more often than not.

Sure, a home security system is always the best defense, but exercising prudent judgment concerning property maintenance is an important element to home safety, as well.

If you don’t have a security system that protects home access areas such as windows and doorways you might want to incorporate a few (if not all) of these tips until you are able to be more fully armed with a home safety system.

1. Make sure exterior doors are solid core construction.
2. All strike plates for exterior doors (or interior doors if you want to provide individual locked-room safety) should be installed using nothing shorter than three inch screws. Anything shorter makes it super-easy for the doors to be kicked in.
3. Sliding door panels should be equipped with an auxiliary lock so both door panels can be locked together.
4. Even if you keep your car parked in the garage, make sure keys are removed from the car in all instances.
5. Exterior doors (including front, back and garage) should be equipped with wide-angle peephole viewers, and remember to always be cautious of who is standing on the other side since would-be intruders have been known to dress in uniform and even carry flowers for supposed delivery.
6. Make sure trees and shrubs have been trimmed from around windows so clear visibility is never in question.
7. A closed window is not deterrent enough – it also needs to be kept locked!
8. And in addition to being kept locked, windows should be equipped with an auxiliary locking device.
9. Make sure your window locks are securely mounted since any loss of integrity can open an opportunity for an easier break-in
10. Install motions sensor lights around all windows and doors for two reasons: these alone are often enough of a deterrent; but if someone is still bold enough to try to break in you’re more likely to see them in the act (remember the peepholes?) and call 9-1-1.

Home safety means more than making sure that your home is protected from uninvited physical intrusion thanks to the use of an alarm system. It also means making sure that family members or visitors don’t suffer any unfortunate consequences as a result of items that you may have inside your home.

National poison control statistics indicate that roughly two million calls are made each year concerning possible poisonings and almost all of them are concerning poisonings in the home.

So how can you protect your home from being one of these? Follow these steps and make them practice in your own household:

•    Install safety latches and childproofing to all cabinets.

•     Make certain all potential poisons and chemicals are kept inside these locked cabinets.

•    Keep food products and chemical products stored separately.

•    Store toxins and poisons in their original containers.

•    Many poisonings have occurred because of assumptions based on the container alone.

It’s also important to recognize the signs of potential poisoning which can include difficulty breathing, difficulty speaking, dizziness, foaming or burning of the mouth, and nausea to name a few.

If you suspect poisoning, immediately contact 9-1-1, your local Poison Control, or the national hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Timing is important, so make the call as quickly as possible after poisoning is suspected.

Is there a typical profile that the most commonly invaded home falls into? If a would-be burglar is looking at properties to invade, the typical profile is a home that most likely has cash laying around and a home with residents that are less likely to put up resistance (such as the elderly, women, or children).

I’m mostly afraid at night. Is that when most home invasions occur? Surprisingly, no. Granted, while home invasions occur every hour of every day, the most common time for a break-in is typically at 2:00 in the afternoon when homes are typically unoccupied or the male of the household is away from the premises.

What can I do to reduce my chance of becoming a victim? Apart from making sure an alarm system is not only installed but is armed and set 24/7, make sure all windows are kept locked (even on second floors), never answer a door if you are not expecting anyone or know the person, and install high quality door locks as well as reinforcing your exterior doors with a high strength strike plate since doors can be broken off their hinges in a matter of seconds without them.