The raging COVID-19 pandemic not only caused spikes in mental health cases across the US but also contributed to increased crime rates, particularly home invasions. As thousands find themselves suddenly without a job and as chaos and uncertainty erupt in cities and suburban areas, some people resort to violence and burglary to tide themselves over and survive the pandemic.
In Austin, Texas, for example, there was a 24 percent increase in break-ins during the initial two weeks of the stay-at-home order. These include both residential and commercial properties in the area.
If you’re currently scouting for products that will help prevent you from becoming a victim of such a crime of opportunity, you should consider some game-changing tech tools. These devices will turn your home into a fortress that will deter most burglars and foil attempts at breaking and entering your property.
Here are some commercially available tech tools that can help safeguard your home against unauthorized entries:
Surveillance system
Surveillance systems have been in wide use for many years now, but they have become more technologically-advanced now than when they were first made commercially available. By investing in a digital watchdog or surveillance system, you can now watch over your entire property without even leaving the safety and comfort of your couch.
Surveillance packages now incorporate remote viewing through an authorized smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. There are CCTV cameras with two-way audio, night recording capability (through infrared), motion detection, thermal imaging, and real-time push notification, among other advanced features.
You can simply approach a company that specializes in surveillance technology to get the best package possible for your particular security requirements and budget. They can install, set up, and maintain the surveillance system so you won’t have to do anything but monitor the feeds whenever you needed.
Smart locks
Why settle for traditional locks when you can pull off a genius move by investing in smart locks instead?
These futuristic locks sport some nifty features that combine both convenience and cutting-edge technology that can offer multi-tier protection against intruders. For example, there are smart locks that offer advanced features such as voice control, remote access, and time-bound access.
Some smart locks come as an entire unit while there are kits that can be installed to complement an existing, traditional door lock. Just choose the features and types that best fit your budget and security needs.
Window alarms
Burglars love accessing homes by breaking window glass and having their way with homeowners’ valuables. You can address this particular vulnerability by installing window alarms to stop intruders from actually entering your home.
Window alarms sound off a high-pitched sound when triggered, typically due to the glass being broken. Since most burglars are easily spooked by such devices due to the possibility of being caught, window alarms work for the most part. That is, of course, since no amount of deterrent can stop the most determined thieves from storming into a home.
Video doorbell
Worry no more about those pranksters who love to push your doorbells in the middle of your sleep just to annoy you, or even those do no-gooders who seem to think that your packages belong to them.
With a video doorbell, you can remotely see who’s exactly standing in front of your door since it can be paired with an app that lets you know when there’s someone in your doorway. Many video doorbells capture 1080p videos and can stream the same without a fee. You’ll need to pay a monthly subscription to have the videos saved in a dedicated cloud server for later review.
Motion-activated lighting
If you want inexpensive deterrents to burglars, then you should buy a dozen or so motion-activated light bulbs and install them in strategic areas such as your doors, windows, porches, and perimeter fence. In most cases, would-be intruders are more than willing to abandon their unsavory break-in attempts once they get illuminated, knowing fully that they can be easily identified by homeowners or their next-door neighbors.
These smart lighting solutions are sold higher than traditional light bulbs, but they are way cheaper than other home security products in the market. In short, they’re perfect for homeowners on a limited budget but still want a certain level of protection against unauthorized access to their property.
In today’s tech-driven world, keeping one’s home secure from unwanted access has become absolutely easy. While these tech tools may cost you a considerable amount of money, the security that they can offer for your family would be truly worth the investment you’re making.
