Put yourself in the shoes of a burglar for a moment and picture yourself walking down the street of quiet-secluded neighborhood. You note that there are no cars in the driveways, which is usually a good sign that everyone is away at work leaving their empty homes behind. You finally reach the two largest homes in the neighborhood, both of which look equally as vulnerable. All of a sudden you notice that the home on the right has a home security yard sign posted on the front lawn, as opposed to the home on the left. Now as a burglar, which home would you prefer to burglarize?
There is a common conception that posting a yard sign outside of your home will deter a burglar from targeting your home. Is this true?
Since companies such as Amazon have made it easy for consumers to purchase yard signs, some people have found it more cost effective, and easier, to have a home security yard sign posted outside their home in lieu of a burglar alarm. Here’s the real question: Does it really work? After interviewing burglars, we've found that the answer is yes and no.
Let's Hear Both Sides of the Argument:
The Bright Side
- It’s Practically Free – You can basically purchase a yard sign for the price of $3.99 to give off the impression that your home is being professionally monitored. Not everyone is in the financial position to install a burglar alarm in their home, so this adds a small layer of protection by making burglars think their home is protected.
- Burglar Repellent – Burglars are opportunistic criminals. Vulnerable targets are a burglar’s best friend, so if they see a home that is “potentially” being protected by a burglar alarm, chances are they will just move onto the next defenseless target. The easier the job, the better!
- It’s All in the Numbers – According to The Greenwich Study of Residential Security, homes that did not have a yard sign were more likely to have their home burglarized. The study shows us that most homes that were burglarized did not have a yard sign.
The Flip Side
- Burglars May Call Your Bluff – Most burglars will “scope” out a home to see the homeowner’s daily routines. Some burglars will even go as far to see if you are arming your “hypothetical” burglar alarm. If your bluff is called, this will only persuade a burglar to rob your home.
- Shooting Yourself in the Foot – Having a yard sign posted outside of your home without the use of a home security system can give you a sense of false security. If you're leaving your windows and doors unlocked, what's the yard sign going to do if a burglar breaks in?
- The Desperate Burglar – Even homes with with yard signs get burglarized. If a burglar is desperate enough, he will break into any home, regardless if they have a yard sign or not.
At the end of the day, your safest bet in ensuring the security of your home is a wireless security system. Not only do you have the bite to go with the bark, but a true sense of peace of mind is established. Whichever you prefer, remember—something is better than nothing when it comes to security.
Our local police tell us that
Our local police tell us that when the desperate burglar does get into the house, with alarms blaring or silent systems sending signals, he or she can grab valuables and get out of the home long before the police arrive. Most neighbors ignore audible alarms, whether these are alarms on cars or homes, since there are so many false alarms.
Purchasing a security system with yard signs will make the homeowner feel safer. But, as with using yard signs alone, this may lead to lax homeowner behaviors such as leaving doors unlocked, windows open, and leaving cameras and laptops around the house in plain sight.
Since most home break-ins are in daylight hours, the best security is to enlist neighbors who are at home during the day to watch for strangers or strange behaviors and call 911 to get the police to investigate, as a part of a Neighborhood Watch program. Many police departments make staffing decisions on police officers in neighborhoods with more police assigned where they get the most 911 calls (most involved and security-conscious residents).
Program lights around the house to come on at dusk and go off at your normal bedtime. Have a radio playing loudly at entrances to the house from 7 AM to 9 PM. Have porch (front and back) lights come on at dusk and turn off at dawn.
Homeowners benefit from subscribing to security systems, but they also need other actions such as those described above to make even the most desperate people select a home to rob other than yours. Check out homes in your neighborhoods. Which seem the most vulnerable?