Do you know anyone who has an alarm system, but never sets it? I do, and it amazes me.
Alarm system subscriptions are expensive —
When you see those alarm system advertisements, they lull you with free installation, but the real money is in the monthly subscription costs that automatically get charged to your credit card each month. “Free installation ain’t free.”
I’m guilty of this in my own small way. I have a Netflix account where they send me DVDs through the mail (I’m still old-school. I don’t stream). I never have time anymore to watch, so they sit on the table month after month and I get charged for the service.
I came across this recent Consumer Reports article about the true costs of owning an alarm system and I was stunned. www.consumerreports.org/home-security/diy-home-security-system-cost Look at these numbers. Ouch! It’s very expensive, and millions of Americans gladly fork over huge sums every month, and some of them can’t even be bothered setting the alarm?!?
Low-tech solutions are a viable alternative
Many people know deep down that an alarm system is not right for them. They make some people nervous. Have you ever stayed with family or friends and had to mess around with the security code? To make matters worse, if you get it wrong and the alarm goes off, the police will respond to the false alarm and send a bill for wasting police time.
Many more people prefer low-tech solutions for protecting their home and property. This blog from Allstate has low-cost, low-tech solutions for improving home safety: “5 Tips to Improve Home Security.” blog.allstate.com/5-tips-improve-home-security My system should really be the sixth option. No! The first.
I’m the sort of guy who has extra-long screws on exterior hinges and strike plates, so the door can’t be easily kicked in. This video shows the advantages of this simple step.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu3UHVEwjFI
Registering and proxy-marking property is an established practice
As a criminologist and longtime volunteer of my local neighborhood association in Des Moines, Iowa USA, I was so excited when I rediscovered the old companion to Neighborhood Watch called Operation ID. It seems nobody has ever heard of it because the strategy had been mothballed for years. But it is an evidence-based, sustainable, crime-prevention strategy.
Actually every corporation, university and government uses the approach on a large scale. It’s very expensive to implement at the enterprise level and requires specialists to manage the inventory systems and databases. In the United Kingdom, the strategy has been used in miniaturized form for individuals for decades. https://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/property-identification-using-marking-tagging-and-tracking/591/standards-for-property-marking-products-and-services
It is the effectiveness and simplicity of this forgotten technology that prompted me to invent the My Property ID. I have re-purposed the strategy and shrunk it down for individuals, families and small businesses. I’ve created a simple D.I.Y., onetime-cost, mail-order security kit that complies with the United States Dept. of Justice requirements for Operation ID. www.gao.gov/assets/130/126467.pdf
Simple, affordable and effective. Please take a few moments look at the My Property ID homepage to learn more about how we can help you protect your property.
Thanks for reading.