Every home has its share of locks, but until a few years ago, it used to take Ming Dynasty porcelain vases, Picasso sketches and other high-priced, high-visibility valuables for home owners to justify purchasing home security systems.

But a growing rate of burglaries, which now account for nearly 35 percent of all the crimes recorded in the United States, along with fires, has changed the minds of owners of homes both lavish and modest, career-minded families who spend long hours away from home and even senior citizens who worry about being unprotected.

Home security has come a long way in recent years, both in options and prices. Microchip technology has made the newest home security systems even more reliable than that most lovable and popular of home alarms – the big, barking canine and accompanying “Beware of Dog” sign.

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With crime rates on the rise in both cities and the suburbs, it’s easy to see why many homeowners are concerned about home security. As a result, there’s a whole spectrum of home security devices waiting to act as a watchdog while you’re away.

Some require only an investment of a few dollars and can be put in place by a do-it-yourselfer while others cost thousands of dollars and require professional installation.

At the low-cost end of the spectrum, you’ll find heavy-duty locks for windows and doors to beef up security, peepholes for peering at unknown visitors, motion-sensitive floodlights that flash on when someone comes too close and battery- powered motion alarms that protect a single door or window.

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An electronic German shepherd door alarm is effective. When someone touches the door knob, the unit plays a lifelike bark of a 100-pound shepherd. There are also timer controlled motorized kits that open and close curtains for an at-home look. A combination lock deadbolt is inexpensive and effective. There are no keys for children to lose. The combination can be changed anytime.

If a burglar does get in a window, he cannot open the door to carry things out. Even if a budget allows for only two sensors, an emergency dialer is a plus. Push an emergency button to automatically call the police. If the smoke alarm goes off while you are away, the fire department is called.

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It can really be a tough job to find the appropriate home security system. It seems that people are fed up with old methods, which all look more or less the same. They are familiar with the traditional call center home security systems which prevent burglars from breaking into your homes. On the other hand, there are special additional parts, such as sensors and flood lights that can be effective, but too expensive. Nevertheless, some improvements have been made, and new ways of securing people’s homes have appeared. Such are biometric locks.

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