House was broken into.Any tips?

My house got recently broken into.They took my new flat screen tv and my ps3, I was upset to say the least lol. So it made me want to have some sort of security system in place.



How My house was broken into:

I came home and noticed my fron door was open.I thought i left my door unlocked and the wind blew it open. Then i noticed that the glass on my door was broken. I have a really dumb door with a major security flaw.It is a big wooden door with about 12 small glass panes in the door itself with 4 on each side running vertically.They broke one of the panes near the lock and stuck there hand in and unlocked the door.

I live with my mom and she is the house owner.She dosent feel to atiment or too serious about makeing the house more secure.I say this because she dosent want to fix the main flaw of our security here at the house which would be the big door withabout 12 acess points to break to gain acess to the lock.

My house is set up as to where I have an inside porch.So that means you walk down the block,go up my 10 foot sidewalk to enter my indoor front porch which is fully visible to the street. My Porch door is also a wooddoor with a big pane of glass which has this very sturdy lock.I think this would of maybe prevented it because i doubt there going to break a big peice of glass in full view of the street and other people house. But they came onto the indoor porch because the front front door was unlocked then they came to the big wood door with all those glass panes,broke a pain closest to the lock and walked upstiars and took my ps3 and flastscreeen and i assume drove off.

So this is why im asking my question which is should i go through a company like ADT,Broadview,simplx a company that offers that type of service where the house is monitored at there central location then alert you and the proper emergency service if they detect a problem or should i just build my own system and try and make the house more secure.



1. Should i go with one of those companies? the only benifit is that if i dont secure my doors properly and im not home and the neighbors dont hear it and call that i know the police will be there.



2. What products can i buy to make my house more secure?



3.For my wooden front door what can i do to make that secure? i heard of deadbolts where you need a key to lock/unlock on both sides,are those real? I want that so if they do break the glass they still cant get in.



4.Are cameras really that benificial? They only really help when in plain view,which i think isint that good to begin with cept detur. Or that there only good when your stuff is already gone which i think is to late.Where can i buy cameras that only motion activated?



4.Are there any good websites that are about home security that offeer cheap good products? how about any forums for prevention and security product reviews



5.What kind of locks are there and what benifits do they provide?Are there any chain locks which you can unlock from the outside?



6.should i buy a new door handle with a lock and maybe some sort of other lock like a deadbolt for my bedroom door? I ask this because i dont have anything else worth stealing except for my room and worse comes tow orse they break in but i want something to stop or slow them down alot if they actually get in.



7.Where can i buy glass laminate so i can make all the glass entry points in my house unbreakable. I think its called security film and its a laminate that makes it bullet proof or shatter proof so they cant just break the glass and unlock the door..I searched ebay,is there any other sites that offer this type of product?



8.What can i do to make my front porch door more secure? Im goin to start locking this door more often since its out in the open and i think that will detur most. Maybe put security fil over it just incase. Same with my back door and my front wooden door. What can i do to make those more secure?



9.What decides how good a lock is? is it the width or depth of the lock/deadbolt?House was broken into.Any tips?
I would be freaking out if someone did that to me. Make sure you lock both the inside and outside doors.



Best is to not make yourself a target. You have to be more secure then the guy next to you. Don't advertise new stuff you get by placing the box at the curb for the trash men to get, cut it up and put in into a bag so people don't know you just got a new tv.



The home security stickers or NRA sticker help keep thieves away.



A new front door is rather expensive. but a dead bolt with a key on either side may work but is a fire hazard. The last 2 houses i bought made us take them out to get our use and occupancy.



There is nothing you can tape onto a window that will make it unbreakable. it may contain the shards of glass but not stop someone hitting it trying to get in.



A lock on a bedroom door is a joke, the door itself is usually make out of cardboard, if you hit it with your shoulder you will go through it.



Usually what makes a good lock is how hard it is to pick. the security of the lock has more to do with the door jam than the lock itself, You will not break a lock but you can break the thin piece of wood that stops the dead bolt rather easily. You can kick in many doors. Make sure the metal plate where the dead bolt goes into has 3 inch or more screws that make it to the house structure and not just screwed on the door jam with those tiny 3/4" screws.



Having a security system where you have a dvr in the house is only so so. If someone breaks in and sees the cameras they know they have to take the dvr too.



Maybe you can talk your mom into getting a dog, they scare a lot of people, and may make enough noise to alert your neighbors if you are being broken into.



But the best way to avoid being broken into is to have good neighbors. If you know everyone on your street and question people in your neighborhood you don't know it goes a long way to keeping crime away.House was broken into.Any tips?
To stop the thief in the way that they entered your house the last time you could use a deadbolt that needs a key to operate on each side. You could also purchase some security stickers and place them on doors and windows. Make them think you have a home security system.