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Tag Archives: home invasion

Never Hide Your House Keys in These 6 Spots

Never Hide Your House Keys in These 6 Spots Never Hide Your House Keys in These 6 Spots

There are many instances where people want to hide a house key outside. It’s often a spare key that is only used for emergencies, such as losing your keys and being locked out, while others like to leave their key around because they don’t want to carry it around, such as going for a quick jog around the block.

While there are valid reasons for hiding house keys around your property, it’s important to understand the risk of doing so. Yes, you can hide it well but there are certain spots that aren’t as good as you might think!

Here are 6 spots where you should never hide your house key:

Under the Doormat

The classic hiding spot, and possibly one of the worst, never hide your house keys under the doormat! The reason is quite simple – anyone that’s an intruder with a shred of intelligence will check this spot first.

Around one third of burglars use the front door to access the property, many of which have found a spare key lying under the doormat and used it for easy access. Never make the mistake of hiding any key under the doormat!

Under Pots or Rocks

While not as obvious as a doormat, placing a key under a plant pot on your porch or a nearby rock is also a dreadful idea. Basically, any large object located near the door will likely be checked when someone is trying to find a spare key to break in, so that means plant pots and other décor should be avoided at all costs.

Under Trash Bins

As you might noticed there is a trend where hiding keys under objects outside your house is a bad idea, and trash bins are another example of this. While the larger size of some trash bins may make them appear as a decent hiding spot, they are anything but this.

Trash bins are easily moved and will be every few weeks when they get emptied. This will leave your key exposed or may have even been dragged beneath the bin as they are emptied and get lost. Don’t make the mistake of hiding your keys under any of your trash bins.

Inside a Fake Rock

Despite being marketed as an innovated home security product fake rocks are a terrible place to hide a spare key. The reason its such an unwise place to hide your keys is because almost every burglar knows about these fake rocks and can spot them from a mile away.

On Your Car

Cars can offer a nice hiding spot for a key, especially if using a magnetic lockbox. The sad truth is that burglars tend to check around your car wheels, so even using a lockbox to store the keys isn’t recommended.

Inside the Mailbox

Sometimes people stash their key in their mailbox when running a quick errand. While the temporary spot may seem harmless, mailboxes aren’t the most secure and you may find the key is accidently lifted by the mailman.

If you have a home in The Coachella Valley and are concerned about the overall security of your property, see our page for special offers on a new alarm system, then contact the professional alarm consultants at Command One Security! We are eager to discuss with you the most effective and economical options we have available for home security today. Call us today at (760) 568-0052!

Beware of These Deceptive Home Invasion Tactics

Beware of These 3 Deceptive Home Invasion Tactics

Beware of These Deceptive Home Invasion TacticsHome invasions are on the rise and because of them, home security is a topic of concern for all homeowners and families. Criminals are becoming increasingly brazen and coming up with new tactics to deceive and trick their victims. When it comes to home security, most people are complacent. This is not good because it ultimately leads to disaster. Staying well aware of the tactics used by the home invaders is the key that will help you take the necessary protective measures to protect your family and your home.

Following are the 3 deceptive and most common home invasion tactics you should be aware of:

1. Litter Left in Front of Your House
If you see any kind of litter in front of your house, then it is highly recommended that you dispose of it. This is because criminals scouting the neighborhood leave trash indicators on properties. Things such as bags, lids, cans, etc. in front of your house could have been intentionally left by a criminal scout in order to let another criminal know that your property has been marked to have something worth stealing. This makes your home a target for a break-in.

2. Using Your Pets to Case Your Home
Criminals look for your pets, for example dogs that are left outside as this is a clear indicator that there are going to be no dogs inside, hence making it easier for the criminals to break in. To get rid of the obvious threat (the dog outside of your home), a criminal will feed the dog with meat that has been poisoned in order to kill it or make it very ill.

Criminals also look for homes where cats are present. This is because most people who have cats tend to leave their windows open and even disable their alarms so that their beloved pets can move about freely.

3. Ad Flyers and Business Cards
Never take business cards or flyers from a stranger who approaches you at your house or anywhere else. Criminals have been known to lace authentic-looking business cards or flyers with chloroform or other such substance. If that substance is absorbed by your skin, you can pass out, making you an easy target for the criminal to rob you of your valuables, money, and house keys. The keys will then give the criminal access to your house and your valuables inside.

Final Word
When it comes to home invasion, prevention is always your best bet. Being aware of the common tactics used by criminals to invade the home can help you take better protective measures and ensure the safety of your home and your family.

If you have a home in The Coachella Valley and are concerned about the overall security of your property, see our page for special offers on a new alarm system, then contact the professional alarm consultants at Command One Security! We are eager to discuss with you the most effective and economical options we have available for home security today. Call us today at (760) 568-0052!

What-To-Do-If-You-Hear-Your-Neighbors-House-Alarm-Going-Off

What To Do if You Hear Your Neighbor’s House Alarm Going Off

What-To-Do-If-You-Hear-Your-Neighbors-House-Alarm-Going-OffA lot of homeowners take their home’s security seriously and install a home security alarm system on their property. But few actually think about what they would do if the home alarm system of one of their neighbors goes off. Although, the advanced home security systems nowadays directly contact the authorities, there are still some that do not. Such systems rely on someone hearing the alarm and calling the authorities, or on scaring the criminal or burglar away with the noise alone.

While most people are well aware of what to do when their home security alarm system goes off, they fail to learn what to do when it happens in their neighbor’s house.

Following are some things you should do if you hear your neighbor’s house alarm going off:

1. Observe

If a home alarm system of one of your neighbors goes off, start by identifying the source of the noise. It is recommended to observe from a safe distance if you have a good line of sight to the source. Do not just glance for a few seconds; observe for at least five to ten minutes. If you are unable to see something going wrong, try to contact your neighbor via phone or text in order to let them know that their unit has gone off. It is also recommended to observe your neighbor’s house again every five to ten minutes, particularly if the noise is still sounding.

2. Avoid Direct Confrontation

If you see a suspicious individual near the source of the alarm, it is recommended that you avoid direct confrontation. Directly confronting a suspicious or mischievous individual can lead to a dangerous situation such as vandalism, harassment, or even violence. If your line of sight is not good and you have to get closer to make a good observation, then it is recommended that you keep a safe distance between yourself and the house where the alarm is going off.

3. Make Personal Contact with The Homeowner

Even if the alarm is switched off and there seems to be no signs of trouble, it is still imperative that you follow up. Especially, when you cannot contact your neighbor via phone or text, making a personal contact with him/her about what happened can make a difference. Because it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your home as well as your neighborhood.

4. Report to Authorities

Not reporting minor incidents (such as neighbor’s home security alarm going off) is one of the biggest mistakes neighborhood residents make. If your neighbor’s house alarm is going off and it may seem to you that a suspicious activity is going on in their home, it is recommended that you report the incident. Timely reporting to authorities regarding such suspicious activities in your neighborhood can help stop a burglar, a sex offender, or even a murderer before the situation gets really bad and results in scary incidents.

In conclusion, if you look out for your neighbors in such circumstances and take some action instead of ignoring it, it can have a great impact on reducing crime.

If you have a home in The Coachella Valley, and are concerned about the overall security of your property, see our page for special offers on a new alarm system, then contact the professional alarm consultants at Command One Security! We are eager to discuss with you the most effective and economical options we have available for home security today. Call us today at (760) 568-0052!

Preventing Burglaries in the Coachella Valley

5 Things Burglars Look for When Choosing a House to Rob

Similarly, to going out and trying to find a house to live in, burglars can be very picky about which house they will rob. There are many factors that go into which house they choose, however, it is important to try and make it harder for your house to be robbed, therefore increasing the chances of a burglar skipping your house.

1. No security alarm.

Preventing Burglaries in the Coachella ValleyThis is the absolute first thing that burglars are going to check when they go to rob a house. If you simply have a sign on your front lawn from your security company, and stickers on all of your doors and windows, you are much less likely to be robbed. Burglars who were asked about this said that when they say a security company was monitoring the house, the majority of the time they would skip it.

2. A house that appears to be empty.

A burglar does not want to walk into a house with people in it. First, it makes it a lot more dangerous for them, because of the fact that the homeowners might try to defend their property, and secondly, if the house is empty it means that they have a smaller chance of ever getting caught.

3. A full mailbox.

One tell-tale sign that a family has been gone from their home for a long period of time is quickly checking the mail. If it’s mail from more than a few days, the burglar can be reasonably certain that you are away from your home. The best thing to do when you are gone from your home for more than a few days is to ask your neighbor if they can collect your mail for you every few days, simply so it won’t build up.

4. Bad lighting.

A burglar will try to find a house or street that is not very well illuminated. A home with a lot of shadows will make it a lot easier for a burglar to remain unseen. On top of that, if the home is equipped with motion sensing lights, the burglar will most likely avoid your home.

5. Unlocked or open doors and windows.

After all of the other things have been checked, a burglar is going to take a walk around your house and attempt to open every single door and window. If you have accidentally left even a single one unlocked or open, it is going to be extremely easy for a burglar to quietly get inside your home. A burglar always wants the easy and quiet way into your home, instead of having to break your door or bust open a window.

One of the best ways that you can protect your home from burglars is make it extremely difficult and annoying to get into your house quietly. If your house is guarded by a security company and you always lock the doors, you are going to be much less likely to be robbed because of the fact that the burglar will simply go to the next house.

To increase the security of your home in The Coachella Valley, you can take advantage of special offers to get a residential alarm system, then contact a security consultant at Command One Security! We will be happy to discuss the most comprehensive and most cost-effective options we have available today. Call us now at (760) 568-0052!

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