5 Surprising Stats Highlighting the Value of Home Security
The home security market continues to grow year after year. I am sure some of its growth is the result of new and better equipment hitting the marketplace. But I also suspect homeowners are gradually coming to the realization of just how valuable home security equipment can be.
If you’ve been thinking about installing your own system but you’ve been on the fence, you might be interested in the latest home security stats from SafeHome.org. Below are five of the most surprising stats from their report. Each of them highlights the value of installing a home security system.
1. 4.3 Million Larceny Thefts Occurred in 2022
Larceny theft continues to be the most reported crime in America. Just over 4 million such crimes occurred during the last year of the cited statistics. That is a lot of crimes. Not only that, but a significant portion of them were also committed during burglaries.
Burglary itself is not defined as stealing something. Burglary is the crime of entering a premises or structure without permission for the purposes of committing a crime. If a person breaks into your home and steals, he is now guilty of two crimes: burglary and larceny.
At any rate, electronic home security is a very good burglary deterrent. Criminals aren’t hoping to get caught. They avoid it at every turn. If they know a home is protected by monitored home security, they are likely to choose another home to hit.
2. 48% of All Violent Crimes Occur at a Residence
Nearly half of all violent crimes in America take place at a residence. It could be a home or an apartment. It is scary to think of something violent happening in our homes. We think of our homes as safe sanctuaries. Nonetheless, things do happen.
A home security system could be a deterrent. But even if not, a system supported by 24/7 monitoring could alert a security company while a crime is being committed, thereby getting authorities unseen faster.
3. A Residential Fire Injury Occurs Once Every 53 Minutes
The next two statistics deal with residential fires. Unfortunately, at least one person is injured every hour in the U.S. as a result of fire. That’s why companies like Vivint Home Security encourage their customers not to limit their systems to just cameras and motion sensors. They encourage both smoke and CO detectors as well.
4. A Residential Fire Death Occurs Every 3 Hours and 14 Minutes
At least one injury per hour is bad enough. But it gets worse. Someone dies as a result of a residential fire every 3 hours and 14 minutes in the U.S. Equally tragic is the fact that most fire deaths are the result of smoke inhalation. It is not the flames that killed people. It’s inhaling the toxic smoke.
A smoke detector is designed to alert to a fire so that occupants can get out quickly. Smoke detectors should be installed near every bedroom and in the kitchen area.
5. 119 Million Packages Were Stolen in 2023
Compared with the other security risks discussed in this post, package theft is minor. Nonetheless, hundreds of millions of packages are stolen off front porches every year. Something as simple as a video doorbell can deter package theft.
Home security devices serve several purposes. They deter criminals, alert homeowners to crimes in progress, and warn of pending emergencies like fire and CO poisoning. The amount of protection a family gets from a security system isn’t valued in dollars and cents. It is valued for the safety of homeowners, their families, and their properties.