With dark evenings and Halloween on the way, it’s the season for urban legends. But in the spirit of October’s Crime Prevention Month we’re not going to spread any. We’re going to debunk them instead.

Urban Legend 1: Burglaries happen at night. 

Truth: Burglars don’t just want to avoid being seen, they want to avoid meeting the homeowner. That’s why most residential burglaries happen during the daytime when you’re at work. With smart home security, though, you can see exactly what’s going on at home, thanks to video cameras and image sensors that alert you to important activity. Should you miss an alert in an emergency, our 24-7 professional monitoring has your back.

Urban Legend 2: I always lock up, so my house is safe.

Truth: Many burglaries are simple “unlawful entry,” in which the burglar uses an open door or window. It’s easy to forget when you’re in a hurry-the good news is that Alarm.com can let you know. Also, nearly three-fifths of burglaries are forcible entries, which might involve kicking in a door or breaking a window. It’s easily done. A smart home security system is a great deterrent, however. According to one survey of convicted burglars, four-fifths will check for a security system at a home, with the majority retreating once they discover one.

Urban Legend 3: Security systems are easy to beat anyway.

Truth: While this can be true of systems that rely on a phone line, or that piggyback on a broadband connection, an Alarm.com-powered system can defeat many common burglary tactics. Our dedicated cellular connection can’t be defeated with wire cutters; with a cellular signal, there’s no wire to cut. An Alarm.com-powered system can alert your monitoring station even if an intruder attacks the security panel itself, thanks to Crash and Smash protection.

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