Austin Home Security is all about being prepared.

You have used the advice provided by your Home Security Blog. You have a home security system that you arm religiously. You have taken steps outside your home to provide an uncomfortable environment for intruders. 

And then you tell Facebook that you are going on a vacation to Asia next week...  Consider this, then read the following article Please Rob Me!

Here are some Home Security Austin Facebook Tips.

At NTX Security we offer free security related information and suggestions to our community and our potential clients in Austin Security, Dallas Security, and Fort Worth Security, security blog, news articles and our free on-site security evaluations. Please feel free to send this article to someone you care about or whom you feel could benefit from this information. Click here for Business Security or here for Home Security.

On the Second Day of Christmas (security tips)

Security 101 – Basic Christmas Security Training - Do not hide door keys under mats - the first place a burglar will look for a house key is under a mat. Rocks, flower pots and door ledges are next on a burglars search list, so don't get caught being security complacent.  If you must leave a key for emergency purposes make sure that you leave it with a trusted friend or neighbor. Make sure that you lock all windows and doors, even if just leaving your home for a few minutes. Burglars only need a few seconds to ruin your day. Intruders prefer to enter through unlocked doors or windows. Sliding windows that are not secure can be seen from a distance. Don't forget to arm your alarm system every time you leave and when you retire for the evening. Always check all door and window locks when a stranger has been inside your home i.e. repair man, "friend" of a friend etc.

More Security Tips Here

Day 1 of Security and Safety Tips Here 

At NTX Security we offer free security related information and suggestions to our community and our potential clients through our website, security blog, news articles and our free on-site security evaluations. Please feel free to send this article to someone you care about or whom you feel could benefit from this information. Click here for Business Security or here for Home Security.

Fort Worth Home Security Company notes FBI's Uniform Crime reflects residential burglaries are up for 2008.

Kevin Campbell of SDM Magazine

The latest edition of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, 2008 Crime in the United States, published last month, offered the latest snapshot of the crime level in the U.S. While the numbers for violent crimes made some modest declines, the statistics on burglary illustrated more of a roller coaster effect.
 
The national rate for burglary in 2008 was 730.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. Total burglaries were 2, 222,196, up 2 percent from 2007 and up 3.6 percent over the five-year span dating back to 2004. The news was especially discouraging if you're a homeowner, landlord or renter. Residences took a significant hit in 2008, burgled 1,562,976 times, up 5.4 percent from 2007 levels and accounted for 70.3 percent of all burglary offenses.
 
Interestingly, the largest increase in residential burglaries was those that occurred during the day. Daytime burglaries of residences jumped 8.3 percent, up to 805,193 from 738,654 in 2007. In comparison, residences were burglarized 437,007 times at night in 2008, an increase of just 3.5 percent from 2007. 
 
"People aren't home during the day," said James Alan Fox, Lipman professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University, Boston, explaining the higher number of burglaries during the daylight hours. "You have single parents or two-career households; mom and dad are at work, the kids are at school, and nobody's home.

Full Story HERE

At NTX Security we offer free security related information and suggestions to our community and our potential clients through our website, security blog, news articles and our free on-site security evaluations. Please feel free to send this article to someone you care about or whom you feel could benefit from this information.

Dallas Home and Business Security

Are all burglaries being counted in Dallas? Do city leaders hide the true numbers to make their cities more appealing to home and business owners?

Thanks to TANYA EISERER and STEVE THOMPSON of The Dallas Morning News

One night this summer, Tony Briones fell asleep on the living room couch inside the apartment he shares with his wife and son. He awoke to the sound of someone kicking in their front door.

Briones stood up and saw a stranger stepping into his apartment.

    
"The moment that he saw me get up, he basically ran off," Briones said. The Oak Cliff man felt he was the victim of an attempted burglary.

Dallas police didn't agree. They classified the July 5 incident as a case of vandalism.

Full Story here

Video Here

A Home Security Company in Austin, TX warns users of popular social network sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., to resist revealing all personal information even your friends and family. 

Too often social networkers forget just how vulnerable they become when they post seemingly innocent information about themselves or their activities. Just setting your security levels to reduce those who can view your page is not enough.

Here are some quick Do's and Don'ts to get you back on the safe and narrow:

Do:

• Take advantage of the security settings available to you from your preferred social outlet.
• Scrutinize available information about your children i.e. Schools etc.
• Think before you post - Could this come back to haunt me? If yes, then don't post.
• Log out of Facebook. Google your name followed by Facebook to see how others may see you (Ex. John Smith Facebook).
• Have a good time and enjoy social networking - just be safe.

Don't:

• Post private information about your schedule or upcoming trips. (EVEN if only friends can see your profile.)
• Put your home address on your profile or page.
• Post pictures that reveal sensitive data i.e. house number, license plate number, childrens school etc. 

Here are some interesting links for reference:

Think Twice: That Facebook Update Could Get You Robbed

Burglar Steals Laptop, Gloats via Victim's Facebook Account

Facebook Security

10 Solid Tips to Safeguard Your Facebook Privacy

At NTX Security we offer free security related information and suggestions to our community and our potential clients through our website, blog, news articles and our free onsite security evaluations. Please feel free to send this article to someone you care about or whom you feel could benefit this information.

Here are some security tips for the perimeter of your home to help you avoid the situation featured below:

1. Maintain landscaping from a security point of view: Shrubbery shouldn't be high enough for a burglar to hide behind or too near windows or doors. Trees shouldn't be positioned so that a burglar can use them to climb into a window.
2. House numbers should be clearly visible from the street.
3. Allow all entrances to be seen clearly from the street or other public areas.
4. Lighting near garage and other parking areas should allow clear view of anyone present.
5. Ladders shouldn't be in the yard or in clear view.
6. Windows should be secured against being forced open but should allow for easy emergency escape.
7. Window air conditioners should be bolted down or otherwise protected from removal.
8. Check to ensure all doors and windows are secure before retiring for the evening. 
9. Install and use a monitored home security system installed by a professional security company.
10. See other tips here on how to protect your home from the outside in.

Please take the first step in protecting your home today by scheduling your Free Security Evaluation.

Additional information on how to choose a security company here.

Story by NBC 5

Special thanks to Bill Phillips for some of the security tips!

Here is a short video from CNN and Merlin Guilbeau from the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association.

Key points from the discussion:

• Don't wait until after you have been broken into before buying a home security system
• Look for a reputable, licensed alarm company
• Be sure to get written estimates
• Compare systems and price (ensure "apples" to "apples" comparison)
• Decide on owning verses leasing
• Ask if monitoring is included in the price 
• Can the system be monitored by a third party

Bottom line: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

See out previous post about choosing a Top Rated Security Company for more information.

Security systems are extremely important to deter burglars from choosing your house to break in to over another house without a security system. Security systems with surveillance cameras can also help authorities apprehend criminals and recover your belongings. 

However, a monitored security system is just one element of an overall security plan, albeit a large component, but one component nonetheless. 

Solid doors and door locks are another component to deter smash and grab crimes.  Solid dead bolt locks on your home or pushbutton locks and keycards for your business can discourage criminals if they can’t enter to begin with.   Also, if you purchased an existing home, it is a good idea to change all deadbolt locks throughout the home.You should have a professional lock and key shop replace old locks and inspect other vulnerable areas.

Additional items you should consider to complete your overall security plan for your home or business include:

• Safes
• Door Closers
• Desk Locks
• Mechanical/Electronic Pushbutton Locks
• Bump Key” Resistant Locks

FORT WORTH, Texas --

An intruder attacked a Fort Worth woman inside her garage after she had come home from dropping her children off at school, police said.

Visualize a birds-eye-view of your home. Mentally draw a circle around your home. This circle represents where your home security system starts. Here are 5 tips to prepare your home to help prevent a hostage situation like the story above:

1. Walk around the perimeter of your home. Trim bushes or remove / modify structures that provide a good hiding place for an potential attacker.
2. Do the sides or back of your home offer a place for an intruder to conceal himself from the street? Use motion activated lighting on all sides of your home.
3. Get a home security system from a reputable company, and place yard signs and window stickers around the perimeter of your home. This is your first line of defense from an intruder.
4. When purchasing a security system, request to have the overhead garage doors included. This helps protect you from forgetting to close your garage doors and in the case of the home intrusion above, could have notified the police earlier of the emergency.
5. Request to have a remote panic button. This will help you in and around your home should an emergency occur. In many cases the remote "key fob" will accommodate several functions including arming and disarming your system.

Denton is a little safer today thanks to the fine efforts of the Denton Police Department and Denton County Sheriffs department - Denton Record Chronicle article

Five Free Home Security Tips:

1. If you see signs that your home has been broken into - Do not enter! Go to a neighbor's house and call the police.
2. If you see the intruder(s), don't confront them. Panic can sometimes turn a burglary into a more dangerous crime.
3. If a stranger wants to use your phone don't let them inside. Take down the information and call for them.
4. Never tell a stranger you are home alone. Also don't mention this in public places like the checkout line etc.
5. Representatives from legitimate companies have ID cards. (See our verify a representative feature)