HOME SAFE HOME

Home sweet home is nice, but home safe home is smart.

Home security, whether in a house or apartment, provides peace of mind. And considering there are more homes, apartments and skilled thieves than there are public safety agencies (police, fire), this topic becomes even more paramount, especially in a transient community like Las Vegas.

So while Lassie’s barking might scare away an intruder or two, some aspects of home security may actually deter thieves from even thinking about coming near your home.

And with the holidays approaching and homes being filled with often-expensive gifts, now is the ideal time to take some extra precautions.

Mike Henle, a spokesperson for Rolladen Rolling Shutters, studies crime statistics that show burglaries increase during the holiday season.

“What I have been hearing and reading is that burglars are working golf course communities by hopping fences at night and breaking into homes,” he said. “This isn’t meant to scare, it’s just the facts. We know that some burglars work in teams where one dresses up as a golfer, throws a golf ball into a backyard to see if anyone responds, and then calls an accomplice on the other side of the house to begin entry. And as far as gate-guarded communities are concerned, burglars just wait until someone else drives through the gates and follows. So anything that can be done to secure your home is the right thing to do.”

According to Henle, Rolladen shutters are foam-filled aluminum slats that are custom designed to fit on the outside of windows or doors. Not only do they act as a deterrent against crime, but also protect against heat, wind, cold and dust. Industry standards show the shutters, which can be operated manually, electrically and by remote control, lower power consumption by as much as 64 percent.

But it isn’t just homes that are being burglarized. Jeff Sellers, owner and president of Green Valley Security, said medical offices are being hit as burglars attempt to steal drugs and computers. Computers are stolen for identity theft.

“Everybody is getting hit right now,” said Sellers. “In fact, I’m getting over 10 calls a day on metal thefts such as copper and brass. It’s getting so bad that thieves are stealing brass headstones. We’ve been hired to patrol mortuaries and I never thought in the 30 years that I’ve been doing this that we would have to patrol the deceased.”

Sellers believes the best security, that is both reasonable in cost and effective, is light sensors — very bright light sensors.

“They come on when someone enters a home’s perimeter, about 50 feet,” he said. “Do-it-yourselfers can buy a system at Home Depot or Lowe’s and install it on the garage and home. Even if someone does it for you, the total cost should only be $300, which is a smart investment for safety and peace of mind.”