Robert Siciliano, a home security specialist, says most burglaries happen because people skip basic steps like locking doors and assume it won't happen to them. He recommends DIY alarms for around $99 with $1 daily monitoring, plus video surveillance and simple deterrents like timers and signage.
Chapters
Personal security expert Robert Siciliano can case a house just the way a real-life burglar can.
This is pretty much easy access.
Robert Siciliano is a personal safety expert. He wrote the book The Safety Minute, which teaches people to tap into their survival instincts.
Please welcome Mr. Robert Siciliano to the show.
Robert Siciliano, security analyst and author of The Safety Minute.
Robert Siciliano, personal security expert.
Robert Siciliano is a safety and security expert.
Robert Siciliano.
Robert Siciliano. Robert Siciliano.
My next guest is a personal security expert who's going to walk us through the risks and the solutions, Robert Siciliano.
So what can you do to make sure you are not a target? Joining us now from our Beacon Hill studio, Robert Siciliano. He is a home security expert from ADT.com. Let me ask you now, what is the number one mistake homeowners are making in terms of making themselves vulnerable for a break-in?
Well, number one, they think it can't happen to them, that it only happens to other people. And number two, they don't lock their doors. Just locking your doors can really deter a burglary, and they don't do anything in addition to protect themselves.
Personal security expert Robert Siciliano says to prevent becoming a victim, you need to have a plan.
Listen to your intuition. If your intuition is jumping up and down saying, whoa, something doesn't seem right with this situation, respond to that feeling, acknowledge it, and don't put dollar signs in front of your personal security.
You can do a do-it-yourself alarm for a few hundred dollars, $99 installed by a reputable home security company. Alarm monitoring itself is a dollar a day. TV on, radio on, signage saying beware of dog, signage saying this home is alarmed. The bad guy's always looking for the path of least resistance, And just like we tell our kids not to talk to strangers, don't open up your door to a total stranger. Call a supervisor, make sure in fact a repair or delivery is being made. The best thing you could do is to prevent this from happening in the first place. Lock your doors, effective signage, you know, put timers in and around your house, keep the TV on, and get yourself an alarm system.
Security companies over the years have done a really good job of perfecting the art of the home security installation. Having video surveillance is cost-effective, and I find to be very necessary. It's definitely a layer of protection that all homeowners should have in place. It is, in my opinion, irresponsible not to have a home alarm system.
You are not responsible for your house getting broken into, but you are in the best position to prevent it in the first place.
