Anyone who has ever been the victim of a burglary or home invasion will understand. Coming home to find that an uninvited stranger has entered your home in your absence, either by force or through an unlocked door or window, is devastating on many levels.

Having a stranger rummage through and often destroy your drawers, closets, personal items, and other spaces – spaces that had always felt safe and comfortable – would leave anyone feeling unsafe and violated, as well as hurt, sad, and angry. Having a stranger enter your home while you and your loved ones are there, possibly even sleeping, would be absolutely terrifying, to say the least. In addition, the financial losses affiliated with a burglary at one’s home or business are immediate and direct in that valuable property is stolen or broken.

Although the incidences of residential and commercial burglaries in Lewiston and Auburn, according to police department websites, appears to have decreased significantly in recent years, it is without a doubt that being on the wrong side of these statistics is emotionally and financially painful.

A reliable way to protect your home and business is to install a security system. Richard Rodrigue, of Chandler Security Systems, Inc. in Lewiston, installs more than just security systems. For 30 years he has also installed the “peace of mind” that comes with knowing that your valuable property, as well as the well being of your family or your employees, are protected.

During Rodrigue’s initial meeting with a prospective client, he presents the list of options that are available and ascertains the level of security that each client requires.

Many homeowners choose the comfort that is provided by a simple intrusion alarm. With such a system, motion detectors are installed at strategic locations throughout the property including entertainment rooms where valuable electronics are kept, common hallways, and staircases leading to bedrooms and other upper level rooms. In addition, each exterior door is wired.

Dual keypads are installed in the master bedroom, so that just exterior doors can be armed when the family is sleeping, and just inside of the exterior door that is used most often so that the entire system can be armed or disarmed upon exiting or entering the home.

Although most contemporary vinyl clad windows come with locks and tabs that prevent the window from opening more than just a few inches, some homeowners also choose to wire screens so that window can be left open.

Rodrigue hard-wires these systems, threading wires through walls so as to minimize the visual impact of the system’s components, making motion detectors less noticeable and door and window alarms nearly invisible and impossible to disarm. Every system is equipped with a battery backup that will keep the system working, without interruption, in the event of a power failure.

For the average home, the cost of such systems range from $900 to $1,200 and, when installed by Rodrigue, includes “services to the client for the life of the system.” The installation of a home security system can usually be done is just a couple days.

With the installation of these systems, the homeowner can choose to install local sirens inside and outside of the home. The sirens are very loud, and the noise alone will likely be sufficient to scare off any intruder. For additional security, the alarm can be wired to alert a “Central Station” or other location contracted to monitor the situation and respond appropriately by contacting the necessary authorities and individuals, whose names are supplied by the homeowner, when the alarm is triggered. The cost of this outside monitoring service is usually about $22 per month and includes 24-hour protection and a weekly test of the system.

Additional components that are often utilized by commercial properties, and sometimes by homeowners, include fire, carbon monoxide, propane and natural gas sensors that will alert the fire department in addition to other authorities and individuals. Systems that will automatically monitor the functioning of a sump pump can be installed where flooding is problematic, and many local restaurants have installed sensors in coolers and freezers that will trigger an alarm when temperatures get too high or too low and valuable food stores are threatened.

For additional security and the ability to personally monitor investments, commercial and residential property owners may choose to install closed circuit television cameras so that their investments can be observed remotely using a computer or another type of monitor.

While many property owners proactively seek to install a security system, some do not consider its benefits until after they have been victimized. Given that we invest so much (personally and financially) in our property, it might be time to proactively consider this relatively small investment to protect larger investments.

For additional information regarding local crime statistics go to www.cityoflewiston.org and www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Auburn-Maine.html. For additional information regarding how to prevent your home, your business, your investments, and your loved ones from becoming statistics, contact Chandler Security Systems, Inc. or speak with another local security company about how they can equip you with “peace of mind.”