How to Safeguard Your Home in 2022
In the new year, we're looking forward to keeping our homes more protected than ever with the upcoming launch of the Array Pan & Tilt Indoor Camera, which offers 345° horizontal and 85° vertical viewing range, the ability to capture activity up to 33 feet (even in low light and at night), and is equipped with motion detection and human shape recognition. The camera can track and zoom in on images via the Array By Hampton App to see details that may otherwise go unnoticed. The Wi-Fi enabled smart home device can be controlled via voice and automatic scheduling can be established for ease of use. Got one with a display screen like Amazon Show or Google Nest Hub? You can tell those devices to "show me the Pan & Tilt camera" and you'll be able to see on what the camera sees.
In addition to updating our security suite with this advanced AI offering, there's also the HM1004 Smart Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Camera for those who want total security with the option to have a security camera monitoring your front door, garage, or other area of your property. For an outdoor model, try the Array By Hampton Security Light With Camera.
Security cameras keep our homes safe in more ways than one, both physically, and well, digitally on SD cards where the video footage is stored, but there's also perhaps a psychological component to them too, which keeps crime at bay.
Lazarus Jackson, editor-in-chief of Modern Home Safety, knows this firsthand as the leader of her neighborhood watch group in the Bronx, New York, which she said witnessed a high amount of break-ins prior to residents installing security cameras on their own. "Keeping our homes safe prevents us from becoming retargeted victims," says Jackson. "Criminals bypass my block and no longer linger around in our hallways, waiting for opportunities. They know they are being recorded on each floor."
To that point, Jackson urges security camera and alarm system owners to display their security devices so that they're clearly visible. "I believe when burglars know there is an alarm system and security cameras, most simply skip over that property. They prefer easier targets. The goal is to prevent a burglary. Not simply catch one on film because the burglar thought there was no home security system," he says. Echoing Jackson, James Kerr, founder and CEO of Boss Security Screens, stresses that displaying your security camera visibly is "just another one of those signals that stack up and say, 'this house isn't worth the trouble.'"
If a crime does transpire, however, security cameras are all the more essential: "Security cameras catch everything that happens without bias. If you have the footage, you can give the authorities a lead to track the suspect," Jackson adds. Bottom line: Investing in a stellar security camera like the Array Pan & Tilt Indoor Camera, or other Array models, is a great first line of defense in staying safe.
Below, three more practical expert tips for enhancing your home safety.
- Establish a trustful relationship with your neighbors. There's a good reason neighborhood watch groups like Jackson's are so effective. "If we see something suspicious, we call the police first, then the neighbor in question of a possible burglary attempt," says Jackson. "We also open and shut windows loudly to let suspicious characters who linger too long around a neighbors' property know someone is watching."
- Light up. "The bad guys are like cockroaches; they hate the light because they don't want to get caught. For this reason, use bright lights for all doors, entryways and pathways," says Kerr, highlighting that this will allow your household and even your neighbors to see what's going on outside your home. To streamline your outdoor lighting routine, try Array By Hampton's Outdoor Plug, which lets you set schedules to control your outdoor lighting.
- Lock the side gate. "The more barriers, the better," cautions Kerr. "If someone wants to get into the backyard and commit a crime, he or she will first have to climb over that fence. Just the act of anyone climbing over the fence will make your neighbors suspicious — which is a good thing."