I learned recently that a house about three-quarters of a mile up the road from mine was subject to a break-in about a week ago. From my perspective, that’s really close to home. And it’s made me rethink my security measures.
The thing is, since we moved from Chicago, St. Joseph seems safe, placid, law-abiding. But to learn that a neighbor of mine entered her home while burglars were there has made me cautious. They heard her opening the door while they were inside and fled through another exit. She saw them running away toward a car.
While it was determined that nothing was taken, that doesn’t negate the sense of violation that one has when one’s domain is entered by unknowns. I know, since this happened to me about thirty years ago and I can still recall the sense of being helpless, just as surely as if I had been raped.
So I plan to take my neighbor’s experience to heart. Our house is fully equipped with an alarm system that includes a loud siren, sensors across the living room and kitchen floors, additional sensors on the sliding doors, and a hotwire to the local fire department. I’ve never implemented most of these features, but I think I will in the future.
Even if, when the alarm sounds, the loudness of it annoys neighbors and makes cats and dogs howl. I think I’d rather be safe.
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