Something dramatic has happened in New York city. Crime rates have dropped. In fact, Michael Bloomberg has said that it is the safest big city in the US. This is quite remarkable considering that only 15 years ago, New York was known for its high crime rate.

The police have been successful in reducing crime using “get tough” policies implemented by the administration of former Mayor Guiliani. In 1998, Mr. Guilaini told the press that he believed his most successful initiative was policing low level crimes like graffiti. “Obviously murder and graffiti are two vastly different crimes,” he said. “But they are part of the same continuum, and a climate that tolerates one is more likely to tolerate the other.”

Home Security

Although crime in the city has decreased, it doesn’t mean that it has gone away. The crime data still shows a high number of of murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, and arson.

One of the most difficult crimes for police to prevent is burglaries. In fact, with more homeowners lulled into a false sense of safety, it is now easier for burglars to break into a home.

“If you took a poll of all the homeowners in your life, one of the common elements that you would find is that most people can’t help but think at least a little bit about break-ins,” said the Home Security Systems company in New York, “Crime in New York is an unfortunate fact of life, but that doesn’t mean that you have to sit by without having a say in the matter. By making the simple decision to install alarm systems in and around the home, you will get the incredible peace of mind that comes with knowing that you and the people that you care so much about have professional home monitoring.”

With that in mind, here are some tips for how to improve home security in New York, or, for that matter, any other big city in the US:

Check doors.

A deadbolt on a solid door can be pushed open if its strike plate is not secured with two inch screws to the door frame. Deadbolts are far more important than doorknob locks, as experienced burglars find it fairly easy pick these locks.

All doors should have a wireless door sensor. The door from the garage into the house is the most vulnerable because people often fail to close the garage door properly.

Secure windows.

Older windows can be easily pried open, especially double-hung windows. Fortunately, with modern windows, tabs prevent someone from the outside doing more than forcing the window open more than an inch or two.

Like doors, windows can also be secured with wireless window sensors, as well as with wireless glass break sensors. Burglars like windows near roof doors, skylights, and fire escapes, as these are often left unsecured.

Chain ladders.

When considering home security, homeowners tend to forget about the assortment of ladders in their backyards. This makes it easy for burglars to enter upper story windows. Ladders should be chained down to posts or weighed down with to 50-100 pound weights.

Trim bushes.

It is important to remove places where burglars can hide as they try to break in to a house. Bushes near a first-story window allowed them to work on trying to open and climb in through the window without anyone noticing them on the street.

Use motion-sensitive lights.

Battery powered lights are preferable as they can still be used during a power outage. While regular lighting is better than no lighting, lights that turn on when motion is detected do force the homeowner to pay attention.

Deploy smartphone apps.

Using your smartphone, it’s possible to get apps that interact with the device in your home.

Working like a remote control, these apps can control thermostats, locks, and lights. For instance, you can set the lights to come on when you are not at home to make it look as if someone is there. You can also set the lights to go on and off at random times as if there were someone in the house.

It’s even possible to get motion activated video clips sent from smart wireless cameras directly to your smartphone.

Warn burglars.

The most interesting part of home security systems is that they work as warning signals. Posted signs or window stickers about burglar alarms work just as well as beware of dog signs. In fact, they work so well that some people have even used fake cameras and alarms to fend off burglars. However, the downside to this approach is that if burglars learn or figure out that these are bluffs, the house is not protected.

More than a decade ago, New York’s crime rate reached epic proportions. Today, it has reduced crime more than most American cities. However, this does not mean homeowners should not continue to use home security measures to protect their homes. While burglary rates have dropped appreciably, burglaries have not disappeared entirely.