I grew up in a small farming community, most most people who lives in the area operates dairy farms, pear orchards or vineyards, however there was never a need to lock the doors of our homes, garages, garden sheds or vehicles… I played with all of the neighborhood youngsters.
My nice friend and I had barbecues and picnics and invited all of the families on our street, and unluckyly, as the years have gone by, there has been an increase in crime.
There have been a variety of chop ins during the middle of the afternoon. It regularly involves multiple people, kicking in the door when the apartment is most likely to be empty. They go through the apartment as swiftly as possible and grab everything they can. They target small electronics, jewelry, cash and power tools. My partner and I still live in this same town. My nice friend and I operate multiple hundred acres of grapes that are made into jelly, jam, grape juice and wine. The year-round maintenance of the fields often keeps us out of the apartment from dawn to dusk, then when I arrive home after dark, I don’t want to be afraid to step inside! Locking the doors isn’t enough. My nice friend and I can’t have a cat, because we don’t have the time to care for an critter, however our solution is a home security system. Our apartment is now outfitted with motion-sensitive lights, surveillance cameras, automated door locks and sensors on all of the windows. If anyone steps onto the property, opens a door or window or breaks the glass, an alarm goes off. My partner and I are instantly alerted. If we don’t provide a password, the local authorities are notified. I feel that the alarm is enough to frighten off any intruders! Plus, we have signs on the apartment indicating that we have a security system. The majority of break-ins are prevented by the presence of the signs.