How to Build a Home Security & Surveillance Plan: Pt.1

When it comes to home security, where precious lives and property are at stake, prior, diligent planning for a home security system is imperative.

In scenarios where the electricity supply is erratic and unsteady, there are chances that a number of interested parties, be they hardened criminals, looters, or just opportunists, might try to gain access to your home or property, and there’s no telling what could happen after they’ve gained entry and run into hapless occupants.

To ensure the survival and safety of your family and property, it’s crucial to monitor the perimeter of your house and be able to identify any approaching or attempted entry. What can you do, then, to get your house ready for this possibility?

This article will concentrate on surveillance, which includes keeping an eye out for intruders, deploying an intrusion detection system to alert you when someone approaches your secure area, and erecting enough barriers to discourage even the most determined criminals, diverting them towards?other, easier targets.

The idea is to stay vigilant about what’s going on outside and discourage would-be trespassers from entering your property.

Lighting & Illumination

You cannot allow your security to be compromised in the event that the power goes out in your area or if someone with malicious intent tries to cut the electricity to your home, in particular.

Obviously, would-be intruders do not want to be noticed, and they prefer to carry out their activities shrouded in darkness as much as possible to avoid possible detection by the house occupants, which might not only throw their plans in disarray but can even result in arrest or possible injury.

Burglars tend to pick vulnerable targets, which are dark homes that will obscure them while they try to break in. One strategically placed light may be all it takes for an intruder to pass on?entering?your house.

A visual inspection of your premises at night can give you some insights, particularly if you look at it from a criminal’s perspective. If parts of the home and house are too dark, that’s where a potential criminal would probably try to hide and gain access.

A stumbling block can be a lack of electrical outlets or power cabling running along or towards the dark areas of the home that would allow you to easily install security flood lights. Thankfully, compact solar panels and batteries are getting smaller and more reasonably priced every year, making motion-activated solar LED lights a perfect solution.

Modern solar LED lights are bright enough, and the internal batteries can last a considerably long time.

The lights should be mounted high enough so they’re out of reach of regular human traffic or someone who might try to compromise them.

Whenever there’s a power outage in the neighborhood, opportunist burglars can clearly see that your home is still well illuminated by solar flood lights, and they often elect to pass on the opportunity and seek out an easier target.

Surveillance Cameras

When it comes to power outages, you should confirm the overall runtime of any electrical surveillance device you purchase.

Many security camera packages come with a lithium battery or some kind of battery backup that can be used continuously for up to 24 hours. Plan for it to have a battery backup of some form, separate from your electrical system, whether it’s a camera, video doorbell, or monitoring station.

You should be able to keep an eye on your perimeter, even in the event of a power outage. Because of this, CCTV cameras positioned at high altitudes across your property give you unhindered, comprehensive views from a wider perspective than what you could receive by peering out a window. In addition to being able to be mounted, cameras can be hooked into your electrical system and even have the option of solar-charged batteries for night vision.

Usually, your house’s electricity is used to slowly charge the cameras. If you’re thinking of getting a house generator or a battery backup system, then try to account for that when calculating your emergency power demands.

Your Wi-Fi devices will continue to function even if the internet goes down, as long as you have a UPS or other comparable battery backup supplying power to your internet router. Almost always hosted by a router, a home Wi-Fi network is not dependent on the internet, so any device connected to it can always communicate with other devices to share and back up data.

Dogs

Different types of dogs can provide different kinds of protection and early warning of potential intrusion. Some are meant to be benign house pets, while some of the large, ferocious breeds are meant to warn home owners of intrusion attempts, scare off intruders, and, in some cases, attack and neutralize intruders.

Since silence and secrecy are their biggest weapons, opportunist intruders would obviously avoid homes with loud barking dogs because the element of discreteness and stealth they bank on is nullified.

For the intruders, chances are high that a dog will inflict grievous bodily harm or summon an armed owner, not to mention alerting neighbours and other passers-by, thus thwarting escape attempts.

Dogs as a security measure have been around for eons, and despite improvements and advancements in electronic security systems, dogs will always be a mainstay.

Perimeter motion sensors and alerts

Systems like motion detectors, electric fences, and beam sensors can be deployed around the perimeter to warn of possible intrusion attempts even before the perimeter is breached.

While they don’t provide a visual of the impending or potential threat, they can let you know from which direction the threat is coming when wired and separated into zones.?

Sensors can also be installed in isolated locations or detached structures like the garage, shed, car park, etc. Knowing that a human is lurking around these isolated areas, even if there might be nothing of value in them, still gives you the upper hand.

A perimeter trip alarm is an additional option, depending on your location and level of creativity. These are traditional tripwires that can be configured to give off a loud explosion akin to a gunshot, which would instantly give the impression that an intruder is being shot at, in addition to also grabbing your attention.

Neighbours

You often get to know your neighbors after a calamity. Sadly, that’s not the right time to find out who your neighbors really are. Getting to know your neighbors is essential because even one better-prepared neighbor increases your chances of survival whenever disaster strikes.

With a reliable neighbor, you can build an alliance and possibly even share some resources together. Similarly, you can organize quickly following a disaster. It can be enough to give them a walkie-talkie to use in an emergency. When you are traveling or otherwise away from home, having an additional set of eyes to keep an eye on your property could be quite helpful.

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Boney Maundu

Tech Contractor & Writer

Slim Bz TechSystems: Nairobi