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Detecting Home Invasion

The rising number of gated communities in the United States points to an increased concern in detecting home invasion. Even in gated communities many homeowners add the increased security of light/laser sensors in or around their property to provide them with further protection from potential intruders.

Laser/light sensors may sound complicated and abstract, but most Americans have seen them in film. For example, the 1999 blockbuster Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones prominently featured light/laser sensors in numerous scenes. In order to steal a prized jewel surrounded by lasers in a museum, Catherine Zeta Jones's character repeatedly practiced jumping over and under a mock set up of the real laser system so that she could avoid all the laser beams during the actual heist.

The famous theft scene illustrates the relative simplicity of light/laser sensors. The system sends laser beams across a protected area forming a closed circuit. If a laser is crossed by an intruder, the light beam is disrupted and does not reach its destination. The circuit is broken and an alarm is set off. The alarm can make loud sounds, flash lights, and utilize an auto dialer to inform a security monitoring service or the police of a breach in security.

Home security systems that employ light/lasers answers can usually cover up to 1100 square feet of indoor space.

It is not difficult to install an interior system. The system is connected to telephone jacks as well as power sources and then connects to a master alarm control. If the security system sounds it will first contact the owner and if necessary the police will also be contacted. A monthly fee must be paid so that the equipment can notify the police. Home security monitoring services also utilize light/laser sensors and will often give consumers the equipment for free when the subscription service fee is paid.

Home security laser equipment can be employed outside the house as well. The equipment can be concealed in bushes and is not difficult to arm and disarm.

Outdoor lasers not only protect the home from intruders, but are also useful safety devices. They can be placed around swimming pools and alert adults if an unsupervised child is dangerously close to the water.

A one-year warranty is usually standard for laser equipment. If consumers pay for the monitoring service the warrantee can be extended indefinitely. The price of the subscription is usually far more valuable to the business than the cost of the hardware.

Consumers should look for hardware with a battery backup supply to remain protected in case of a power failure.

Some kits also include a panic button that can be used to activate the siren and call a monitoring service anytime of the day. If a consumer fears for his safety and is away from home, he can press the button and a signal will be sent to the phone line.

Homeowners who think they might add additional rooms to their system should look for expandable packages. This allows the central alarm to easily pick up signals from additional detection units that are added at a later time.

Consumers without a land line can still utilize laser technology. Some systems have add-on units to send the alarm through a cellular line. Another option is to purchase a broadband adapter so the signal can reach authorities.