Personal Security Signage Adds Layers Of Protection

Recently I had the pleasure of working with a journalist in the Boston area who is also a family man. We did a story on home security and the different options consumers have to protect themselves. I see him on TV all the time reporting on issues of crime, violence and death. Unquestionably he is on the front lines of what’s happening in our world.

In the course of our interaction we discussed many different aspects of personal security, all stuff he knows better than most.  When doing a story like this the journalist asks questions so the answerers will benefit the audience, but like many others personal security isn’t his vocation so some questions he really wanted to know the answers to.

It always surprises me that some people don’t know what I know, even if they deal with blood guts on a daily basis.

Anyway at one point we were discussing “layers of protection” and the subject of “signage” came up. I’ve always believed the more layers you put in place the more secure you’ll be. Signage is one small deterrent that can make a big difference. A sign saying your home is alarmed is one layer. Another saying “Beware of Dog” defiantly puts doubt in the mind of a bad guy.

He asked me if that really is a deterrent and I used a simple example like a NO PARKING sign. If you see a no parking sign, you are much less likely to park there because you fear of a ticket. If a bad guy sees an alarm sign, he may fear getting caught or when a “Beware of Dog” sign is posted, he may fear getting bit.

Depending on the dog, getting bit by a dog is worse than getting arrested. It’s all about layers.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing self defense on Fox Boston.