| Summer is a the time of year when people look | | | | The problem is, when you turn your alarm off |
| forward to spending time outdoors and enjoying | | | | until 10 or 11 pm or even later while you're |
| sunshine, fresh air and warm nights. Unfortunately, | | | | hanging out on your back deck, the front door is |
| it's also a time when people tend to become | | | | left unprotected. A burglar can easily see you and |
| more careless when it comes to home security. If | | | | your family are busy out back, and it's also easy |
| you want to feel as safe and secure as possible | | | | to tell your alarm system is not on. There's |
| year round, take steps to avoid compromising the | | | | nothing stopping a thief from picking your front |
| effectiveness of your security system this | | | | door lock and walking right in and out with your |
| summer. | | | | belongings. |
| The biggest mistake people make when it comes | | | | Not only are house alarms turned off more |
| to home security systems is neglecting to turn | | | | frequently during the summer, but so are window, |
| them on, or avoiding doing so on purpose. If you | | | | garage, workshop and driveway alarms. You may |
| have yet to invest in a home security system, | | | | be in and out of your garage so many times on a |
| you may find it hard to believe anyone would | | | | weekend day, you don't bother to shut the |
| deliberately turn off their alarm system, or be so | | | | garage door, let alone set the alarm! The same |
| careless as to forget to turn it on. In fact, this | | | | may be true of your work shop or storage shed. |
| happens all the time for a variety of reasons - | | | | Yet each time you leave a door open or an alarm |
| especially in the summer. | | | | system off, you put yourself at risk for burglary. |
| On a cold winter's night when it's dark out by 6:00 | | | | Everyone in your household should use common |
| pm, you probably have your windows and doors | | | | sense and take a proactive approach to |
| sealed up tight and securely locked by early | | | | protecting the home and other buildings on your |
| evening. If you have a security system, you turn | | | | property during the warm weather. If nobody is in |
| it on early because you know family members | | | | or within a direct line of sight of the building's |
| and housemates are in for the night when it's | | | | entrances, it should be closed up and the alarm |
| dark and cold. The fact that it gets dark so early | | | | should be turned on. Once this develops into a |
| and is dark for so many hours emphasizes the | | | | habit, leaving buildings vulnerable is no longer a |
| need to protect against nighttime burglaries. | | | | possibility. |
| In the summer, it may stay light until 9:00 pm or | | | | You may need to adjust your home security |
| even later. You and your family are in and out of | | | | system during the summer so you can activate |
| the house all evening and even late into the night. | | | | coverage for part of the house while leaving one |
| If you're relaxing on your back deck, you're not | | | | entrance unlocked for convenience. Quality alarm |
| likely to set the alarm as long as you're in and out | | | | systems will allow you to easily do so, and you |
| of the house using the bathroom, grabbing snacks | | | | won't have to put your belongings at risk to |
| or mixing drinks. | | | | enjoy your backyard on summer nights. |