I’ve lived in the same small town my entire life.
My husband and I rode the bus to middle school together, graduated high school together and got married shortly after college.
Like his grandfather and father, we operate a grape farm and sell our fruit for juice, jelly and wine. We live in a very rural area with lots of open land. Until recently, crime was never an issue. We never bothered to lock the doors of our home, garage or vehicles. I never worried about being alone at home at night. However, in the last several years, there has been a series of break-ins. These home invasions typically occur in the middle of the day. The people look for houses with no cars in the driveway or sign of movement. They kick in the door and race through the house, grabbing anything of value as quickly as possible. On a gorgeous summer evening, I came home to my front door gaping open and a complete mess inside. Our laptops, ipads, bluetooth speakers, jewelry and some cash was stolen. The monetary loss was nothing compared to the fear that robbery caused. I was no longer comfortable in my own house. I couldn’t sleep at night and was terrified to come home from work without my husband. Changing the locks on the doors wasn’t enough. I ultimately invested in a state-of-the-art home security system. I purchased the most in-depth package available, including surveillance cameras, motion sensors, alarms, exterior security lights, glass breakage sensors, automated door locks and more. The system is monitored by the security company 24/7. If someone breaks into our house, an alarm sounds and the proper authorities immediately get notified.