INDIANAPOLIS -- When it comes to being safe at home, sometimes being proactive is better than being reactive.
Keeping your home safe could be as simple as a trip to the hardware store.
The general manager of the Menards on 42nd Street, Shane Knoblett, said the home security section of the store is the most-shopped aisle of his store.
"You are your own self-sustaining security system," he said.
There are many things you can buy at a hardware store that can keep your home safe:
- You can have an external or internal camera, sync it to your phone and watch a live feed of your camera anywhere you have wifi access.
- There are door and window alarms that range from $7-$15.
- You can get solar-powered motion detector lights to install.
- You can also buy glass-break alarms for windows, digital timers for your lights and handheld alarms to keep by your bed, all for under $10.
But one of the best deterrents Knoblett sells isn't even electronic.
It's a sign that says the house is under surveillance.
Another of the most popular items you can buy is an $18 security bar that prevents burglars from kicking in your door.
"The most common way a burglar gets in is through a door kick-in," Deputy Prosecutor Erin Elam said.
But, Elam said, some of the best steps you can take are free.
"Get to know who your neighbors are and their kids and what they drive," Elam said. "Make sure you call police when something is out of place so they can respond right away."
She suggests you cut your landscaping and hedges trimmed so neighbors can see your house.
"It also keeps burglars from having a hiding space around a home or having cover while they're breaking into your house," she said.
A $300 video security system like Scott Tracy has can record a month's worth of video. He says it's an easy investment in his family's safety.
Elam says security video from homeowners makes it easier to solve and prosecute cases.
