Wireless security systems are good choices for protecting Houston apartments. US statistics show that a burglary occurs every 15 seconds, and 85% of break-ins occur in apartments. In Houston, the prime time for someone to break into your apartment is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. – working hours. You and your neighbors are busy at the office, so who is really watching out for your belongings?

In November 2012 alone, there were about 2,200 burglaries in Houston. If we use the National Crime Prevention Council’s statistics, over 1,800 of Houston’s November burglaries occurred as apartment break-ins.

There are many reasons that the majority of thieves target apartments. Crime prevention professionals cite

• Mailboxes having names instead of just apartment number
• High density housing attracts residents predisposed to burglary
• Mail piles up, your animals are gone, and no lights come on when you’re on vacation
• Nonresidents tailgating residents through coded security gates into parking areas
• Keyed/coded gates do not shut properly or residents leaving walking access gates open
• People living on the second floor or higher think that they are break-in proof and leave windows or doors open when they are away during the day

Apartment managers try their best to keep residents safe. Most Houston complexes now have locking gates, controlled vehicle access, resident screening before you move in, and sometimes, if you have enough money for the hefty rent, 24/7 security guards that patrol the grounds.

Despite all management’s precautions, criminals can infiltrate your community. They do this by moving in with a legal resident. The legal resident does not tell your community resident about the new “roommate”, nor add the person to the lease.

A sign that one of your neighbors has an unreported roommate is when you notice more people start hanging out in the parking lot. You notice more traffic in and out of a particular unit. The new roommate may be hanging out with undesirable elements.

Thieves choose apartments with easy access, cover, and convenient escape routes. If your apartment opens onto the parking lot near an exit gate, your apartment is a viable target for a break-in.

Most apartment burglaries occur when the thief gets access to your apartment through an open door or window. If your windows and doors are closed, it’s still quite easy to jimmy open a lock with a screwdriver, channel-lock, or crowbar. Apartments usually don’t install steel doors and door frames, or a good deadbolt with a 2 to 3 inch throw.  They’re just too expensive.

It’s easy to take precautions to secure your apartment from Houston’s thieves. If your apartment does not have a security alarm system, you can install one quite easily. With new technology, you won’t even need to run wires.

Wireless Security Systems Houston Apartment Advantage

Wireless home security systems are ideal for apartments. Wireless systems work just like their wired counterparts, only the signal is sent to the control panel using radio signals.

Since you don’t need wiring, it is very easy to add components. Incorporating window and door sensors, motion sensors, lighting, and smoke and heat detectors is a breeze.

There are many advantages in using wireless security systems in apartments.

• The components are not easy to locate because there are no wires. The absence of wires means that the system is not easily disabled by thieves because they can’t follow the wiring to the base unit.
• You also have a choice of how the base unit connects to your security alarm company’s central monitoring center. Choose from traditional phone, VOIP, or cellular.
• Wireless security systems are portable. Usually you must sign a contract for monitoring, similar to cell phones. If you move, you just pack up your security system and re-install it in your new place.

Wireless security systems do have disadvantages. Just like any other wireless network, the signal can be interfered with by other electronics. They also run on batteries, which need to be closely monitored and changed periodically. If your battery goes dead, your alarm system will not work.

You also must pay attention to the signal radius of each component. If a component is out of the recommended range, the base (or control panel) may not receive a good signal. This is much like areas that you cell phone won’t work because the tower is too far away.

Wireless security systems are a good choice for Houston’s apartment dwellers. If you have any questions about wireless alarm systems and security alarm monitoring, give the experts at Safeguard Home Security a call.