Safe and Sound
A man’s home is his castle. But a moat is no longer a practical way to protect it from visiting armies and unwanted guests.
Instead, Las Vegas Valley residents are turning to a variety of ways to secure their homes, among them alarm systems and window coverings.
One of the first lines of defense is a simple sign posted in front of the house stating it is protected by an alarm system, said Jonathan Fine, president of Sting Surveillance in Henderson.
“The biggest deterrent in my opinion is a lawn sign,” he said.
The signs let criminals know that someone is present and watching.
Other good ideas are to make sure the home is well-lit at night and to install motion detectors near the front and back doors and in the garage.
Sting Surveillance is well-known among the commercial and hospitality industries for its high-tech security measures, many of which are now available for private residences through its Sting Alarm division.
Fine suggested a digital video recording system with four cameras that can be placed to monitor the front, back and each side of the home. With Sting’s camera and digital recording systems, people can have pictures of suspicious situations automatically e-mailed to them, as well as access a map of their properties through a hand-held touch screen, such as an iPhone, and run a surveillance video of the area.
“With our system you can distinguish between a person and rabbit,” he said, adding that technology also can send a video of a rock being thrown through a window before the rock even hits the ground.
More elaborate systems can include biometric alarms that restrict access to a property through fingerprints, iris scans or facial recognition.
Cost of the systems vary by features, but basic monitoring begins at $30 a month.
Fine said that, as a rule, he doesn’t recommend contact alarms on windows, those that go off when a window is opened, because they won’t activate unless triggered. That means if the window is broken but not opened, the alarm will not sound.
There are, however, several ways to protect windows and prevent them from becoming points of entry into a home.
Nevada Sun Control & Security Film, a division of Total Eclipse, applies a security film that appears like ordinary window tinting (a clear film also is available) but keeps glass in place if it gets broken for any reason.
“It’s like a thick version of window tint,” said John Rana, who co-owns the business with his wife, K.C. “It holds the glass together and pretty much makes it (a window) impenetrable.”
According to John Rana, a special adhesive is used to apply the film to the window, which should be done by a professional. An average home’s windows can be covered for about $300, he said.
The Ranas said the film is especially helpful because it “surprises” prospective burglars. John Rana said he’s visited numerous homes that have been broken into and, in most cases, the thieves had a plan to enter the home and dismantle the alarm before they even arrived at the property. When they attempt to break a window and the film holds the broken glass in place, it causes them to panic and leave, he said.
“This allows you to take control of your own family, its safety and your belongings,” K.C. Rana added.
Among the other benefits of using the security film are that it leaves the windows and sliding glass doors completely functional and it protects them against things such as stray golf balls or errant birds.
Another way to protect windows is rolling shutters.
The foam-filled aluminum slats completely cover windows, virtually stopping burglars in their tracks. According to Fran Minnozzi, owner of Rolladen Rolling Shutters in Las Vegas, no burglar has ever been able to break into a home equipped with the rolling shutters.
The shutters even can be installed over pet doors, she said.
And, like the film, the shutters offer double protection against harmful ultraviolet rays and help lower power costs to heat and cool the home.
