It happened in broad daylight! Daytime Burglaries.

Did you Know that most burglaries are daytime burglaries and occur between 10am and 3pm?

Protect your Family with a home security system from Rendin Alarm Company!

Typically people are away from their homes at this time.  Weekdays especially.  Home occupants are typically either at work or at school during this time.  You may think it’s brazen, but it is actually easier in many cases for a burglar.  Very often they live nearby and know the area’s traffic patterns, home owners’ tendencies and who is going where and when.

The Stats

Each year, there are over 2.2 million burglaries in the US, which means that every 15 seconds, a burglary is committed. Home burglaries account for 70% of these crimes and typically spike during the summer months (July and August have the highest number of home burglaries). The majority of burglaries don’t involve violence or the use of a weapon, but victims can still feel traumatized for months after a break-in, not only for the loss of their property but the uneasy feeling that a criminal was in their home and the fear that he or she may return. Most “burglars” just want to break into your home, find something of value and get out as quickly as they can. In fact, the timeframe within which a burglary is committed is between 90 seconds and 12 minutes, according to the FBI! But the typical commission time is between 8 and 10 minutes.

The average dollar loss from a burglary in the United States is just over $2,000, and the most common items stolen include cash, jewelry, guns, drugs and small electronics (such as I-pads, smart phones, I-pods, etc.). These items can be carried away easily, immediately used by the criminal and/or fenced to another criminal or to a pawn shop; hence, their attractiveness to the bad guy. Because most burglaries are not witnessed and many burglars don’t leave behind fingerprints or other physical evidence, the average arrest rate for burglaries in the United States is only 13%. This means that if your home is broken into, the chances of recovering your stolen possessions or of the perpetrator doing time for the breakin are small.

Beware thy Neighbor!

The typical burglar lives within 2 miles of the victim, and, in fact may know the victim. This is one more reason to be careful about whom you let into your house.  Strangers who ask to use your bathroom or phone could be looking for valuable or casing your property for layout, alarms and dogs. Be mindful of questions you may be asked such as where do you work, do you have kids at home, do you have any pets, etc.  These could be innocent, but could also be part of a plan. Most burglars are male and are under 25 years of age (usually mid to late teens).  Most use ordinary household tools to break into a home including, screwdrivers, channel-lock pliers, small pry bars and hammers. Many times, they just use brute force to go through a door or window.

Protect Your Family

Call Rendin Alarm Company today at 610-544-5755 to set up a consultation and see how easy it is to protect your Family – Your most valuable asset!  or email us at [email protected]

Video Doorbell

The doorbell: Then and now

The ring of a doorbell. For previous generations, this was a welcome sound, notifying homeowners that someone had come to call. Unexpected guests were welcomed with a smile, and often invited in for food, refreshments or just to visit.

Today, it’s a different story. The doorbell is an interruption, and an unexpected ring can send homeowners scattering. “Shhhh…hide! We don’t want them to know we’re home.” I’m sure each of us has done this at some point in our adult lives.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Doorbells are now being made for the way we live, and the Skybell video doorbell is a prime example.

The Skybell video doorbell saves Halloween

Every Halloween, my wife and I juggle taking our three kids out trick-or-treating and handing out candy to all the neighborhood kids. Inevitably, we head out with a large group of neighbors and leave a large bucket of candy on the porch with a note saying “Happy Halloween! Take two and please leave some for the rest.” There is some level of trust associated with this, and I’m sure in past years greedy trick-or-treaters have taken advantage and done a full bucket dump into their goody bags.

That may have happened in past years, but not in 2016. This past Halloween, I turned up the motion detection on my SkyBell video doorbell to high, all right through the Honeywell Total Connect app. I even turned the LED color to Orange; why not keep with the holiday, right?

The family and I ventured out with our neighborhood crew. As we began canvasing, my SkyBell immediately began sending events. I saw Captain America at least seven times, and more princesses than there are in England.

As expected, about two hours into our adventure, I received another event. Curious as to which Avenger character was now visiting my home, I opened my Honeywell Total Connect account to find several teenagers gathered on my porch. And yes, they were scooping handfuls of candy.

I immediately started a voice session and asked “Are any of you planning on leaving some for the little kids?” I wish I could have captured the looks on their faces…surprised, startled, frightened, all of the above. I then said “how about everyone put some back and we all use this as a good learning experience?” One of the three apologized, and they seemed appreciative at how I handled the situation. My parting words were “Happy Halloween and we’ll see you next year.”

The many faces of Skybell video doorbell users

This is just one unique way SkyBell can be integrated into a homeowner’s life. Want some more creative ways to qualify customers for a video doorbell camera solution? Here are some quick tips for identifying potential users.

  • New Mom or Dad: Has the baby ever been sleeping and your doorbell rang and woke them? Wish you could turn the sound off temporarily and still know if someone was at the door? SkyBell and Honeywell Total Connect are for you.
  • Shopaholic: Have the executives for online shopping site friended you on social media because of your buying habits? Are you constantly looking outside for that next package, or worse… wondering all day at work if it arrived? SkyBell and Honeywell Total Connect are for you.
  • World Traveler: Do you travel frequently for pleasure or work? Do you wonder if anyone has stopped by your home while you’re away? SkyBell and Honeywell Total Connect are for you.

    Video Security

    Video Doorbell

  • Lazy Bones: Never want to get up from that comfy easy chair to answer the door? Now you can shoo solicitors without ever leaving that chair. SkyBell and Honeywell Total Connect are for you.
  • Movie Buff: Don’t want to press pause on your movie night unless it’s the pizza delivery guy at the door? SkyBell and Honeywell Total Connect are for you.

Skybell and Honeywell Total Connect

Honeywell Total Connect users can enjoy convenient, single-app functionality right within the Honeywell Total Connect iOS app for full SkyBell compatibility. Users can speak to visitors at the door directly through the Honeywell Total Connect iOS app without the need to download the SkyBell HD app. Plus, they can arm/disarm, lock/unlock all from one screen, and they can also access all SkyBell activity in the events log.

The SkyBell video doorbell now also comes in a new, rectangular model. Sometimes, the doorbell mounting area is positioned very closely to the molding around the door, making it difficult to install the original round version. This new smaller, more compact version, the SkyBell DBCAM-TRIM, offers an option to homes with slimmer door frames. It can be installed on any home that has existing doorbell wiring and is available in silver (DBCAM-TRIM) and bronze (DBCAM-TRIMBR).