| If you want to make your home as secure and safe | | | | the lights, or if you have a silent alarm system that |
| from burglary as you can, your first line of defense is | | | | has also just called the police. |
| going to be having good lighting around the outside. | | | | When you are away from home, you can configure |
| Too often, homeowners think of locks and alarms | | | | your motion sensors with an alarm. When an alarm |
| but neglect the very effective and reasonable | | | | goes off, burglars run. The noise draws attention and |
| technique of using outdoor lighting. That doesn't | | | | that is not what a burglar wants. |
| mean that you want to ignore locks or fences, but if | | | | You need to consider your neighbors though when |
| you have great lighting for your property you may | | | | you install motion detectors in your front yard. |
| discourage a burglar from getting so far as your | | | | Scaring off burglars is one thing. You don't want to |
| fence or your gate. | | | | have so much light set up that you light up neighbors' |
| Be strategic with placement. Most burglars enter your | | | | houses, or sensors so sensitive that every time a |
| home through a door. You need good lighting around | | | | squirrel runs across the yard the property lights up |
| all of your doorways, even if that's the only place | | | | like Christmas. |
| you have well lit. Some light is better than none. | | | | In fact, overly sensitive motion sensors work the |
| Burglars go for the easy score. If you have good | | | | opposite way you want. It's like the boy who cried |
| outdoor lighting, they will likely skip your house and | | | | wolf. If your neighbors are used to seeing your |
| head down the block to another house with no lights. | | | | motion sensor lights turn on constantly, every time |
| Burglars don't like to have lights turned on them, they | | | | someone drives by or when someone walks past on |
| prefer to be anonymous and invisible. | | | | the sidewalk, they'll start ignoring it. |
| You can add even more security to your property | | | | Invest in some outdoor lighting. It isn't expensive, |
| by putting your lighting system on a motion detector. | | | | especially with the new LED lights that are powered |
| That way, your lights aren't on all the time, but will | | | | with solar panels. Motion detectors are also very |
| come on if there is motion in your yard. This really | | | | reasonable. Putting in these lights is the best way to |
| startles a burglar, and generally they will leave. A | | | | discourage burglars from choosing your house to |
| burglar does not know if the motion sensor just trips | | | | victimize. |