ADT Security Pro - Home Security Blog

Did you know that 34% of break-ins occur right through the front door?

Gutsy, Right?

This makes sense when the most common "tactic" involves the front door.  A would-be thief will check out a neighborhood, maybe they found some "clues" like an empty TV box by the trash can, a new Samsung - 65" TV. Or they can see through a window and your laptop is sitting hte in plane sight and no one is home...

Now there is a burglar at your front door... He'll knock and look like he has an appointment with you. He's knocking. Waiting. He has a clipboard in his hand. He's looking at his watch and looking, well... pissed off that you aren't answering. He peeks in a window and looks up and down the street again, then at his watch. Mrs. Applegate figures you missed an appointment and goes back to, well, baking pies or whatever she does on a Wednesday afternoon. Mr. McBurglar knows he's in the clear and in 30 seconds has kicked your door in and no one saw it! If they saw him at all, they saw a young guy in a uniform or dark pants, but he looked like he had business there... and oh baby did he!

If a burglar does break into your home, they will most likely be gone before the police show up.

Having a security system with video surveillance can minimize what they get away with. A thief can kick down most doors in seconds. Upon hearing the alarm, they will know help is on the way. BUT once they are in, even though the alarm is creaming to get back out, they know there's enough time to grab your laptop off the kitchen table or the $600 iPhone just inside the door. The police will arrive a few minutes later.

In this 3 part series we will take a look at crime in your area and what you should do about it.

Here in part one we will look at ways to be aware of crime in your local community, ways you can be prepared and how to prevent it. In Recent Crime Part 2: What to do when you have a break-in we look at what you should do after you have a break-in, and Part 3: Prevent Crime: You need a well-rounded security plan. Recent Crime Part 3 will give you a list of things you need to do to prevent being a victim. Feel free to skip to part 3 and never need part 2.

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Two nights ago our rep Michael was called out for an unusual visit with the Gary family. We had installed an ADT security system already but a burglar had visited the Gary home. As upsetting as that it, this was a fairly successful story. You see, the burglar had probably seen the sign in the yard alerting of a security system. Unlike the 80 - 90% of thieves that would keep on truckin', this thief might have been aware that many homeowners don't arm their system at all times. Or, possibly he suspected that the Garys had bought a yard sign on eBay without actually having a system.

So our burglar, we'll call him thieving Thad, kicked their door in. Apparently when thieving Thad heard the alarm, he realized he'd rather stay out of jail (BUMMER!) and made a hasty get away. Good for our friends the Garys, nothing was taken. There were no phones or laptops or anything else in plain sight or readily available and our Mr. Thad left this home empty handed. 

Use ADT Pulse features from within your Ring app. Why would you want to you ask?  Because as the ring video put it:

"When you leave home each day,               

you leave your most valuable asset

           vulnerable to unwanted visitors"

Your Ring doorbell already alerts you when someone is near your front door and offers you live video to see what's going on. You then are able to respond to that person, giving the impression you are home, whether you are or not.

Who provides the absolute BEST customer service?

You do, you sly devil you! Who else knows exactly how to charm your pants off? Who else knows what to say when you are irritated? How often to do you think, "I'd have done it this way! Who forgot to teach that person how to talk to customers?" Right?

So if you are like me (which I know you are,) then what you want to do is pay your bill at midnight. Update your account while watching The Walking Dead and eating Hawaiian pizza with added smoked bacon, chocolate chunk cookies and order another yard sign in your pajamas or commando if you want. And who better to handle all those needs than YOU?

With myADT.com, handle the customer service aspects of your account yourself when it is convenient for you. Skip being asked how your day is going today and being told how happy they are to be helping you update your emergency contact. Seriously... no one is ecstatic to be updating the emergency call list?

Log-on... click, click, click and VIOLA! Your right back to slaying the un-dead in less time than it takes to find ADT's number.  Access your account a myADTcom or download the mobile app!

Where do you find all the information you need about Home Security and then all other things to do with security? Whether you are already a California Security Pro customer or you are in the market for a security system, you'll find the latest on all things security when you join our on-line community. Wherever you spend your social media time, California Security Pro is your ticket to the latest in home security products, security tips for your home and family, and your connection to trends in your community. See reason #2 below for details on our on-going Facebook Contest and and click here to refer a friend and be rewarded with a $200 referral reward..

Welcome to GREAT value central.

As a consumer, you expect and demand that... right? And immediately even!

No Tijuana style street-haggling, it's the best deal, better than the competition or you're on to the next provider... you know, one of the other 300 ADT dealers or some little guy down the street. This ADT special better be special, right?

Am I speaking your language here?

Of course I am... I'm a consumer too.

It's 3am, you awake to the sound of breaking glass followed by silence.

Even laying still, your heart is doing the Indy 500. Adrenaline stores up, you're ready for flight, you're ready for fight. The adrenaline actually sharpens your hearing.

Then there's nothing. For 10 minutes, there's nothing but a distant dog barking. You still can't get back to sleep, someone's waking up to a broken something, you hope it's not you.

You go secure the house, check the kids, peek outside and make sure everything is okay on your property. There's no rolling back over and drifting into sound sleep tonight. 

Neighborhood gossip alerts you that was John & Marie Poblanski's house.  Some creep broke the glass and grabbed some electronics and a marble elephant. Luckily no one was hurt... this time. It's time to get alarm system. 

You think, "Who do I call?" 

Now that's a nice looking lock! It's a Kwikset SmartCode Deadbolt lock featuring Z-wave wireless communication. A proud member of the ADT Pulse family of products AND the March Promotional Item for New Customers. Until March 31st, receive 25% with no additional installation charge when including a SmartCode lock with your new Pulse Level 3 system.   

Alleviate the moment of infuriating frustration that you can't find the door key, but you still need to be across town in 10 minutes. Don't kick the couch and turn your toe into a throbbing little sausage. Use the code to get back in and find them later or use the key you can find and re-key to that in 30 seconds (you can always find one key, just the wrong one.)

Our relationship... it usually begins unpleasantly. Something went bump in the night. There were foot steps outside your window. You woke to hear your car window exploding into a gazillion shards of mess. A pile on the street and morsels throughout the interior, some still hiding under the mat.

Or it wasn't that close to home. A break-in just one block over. That family that owns the 60 pound mastiff puppy. They brought a casserole over when the baby was born. They are good folk and they had a break in or worse, a home invasion. Possibly you didn't know them but it was on the news and it was literally too close for comfort. Your mind perked up, there was a quick courtship of companies, and you installed an alarm system. The discomfort of vulnerability was... well... comforted, now you and home security are an "us".