Imagine getting alerts to your phone every time there is someone at your door or in your driveway. It’s the new do-it-yourself way to secure and protect your family and your home. In many cases homeowners come home to find out their home has been broken into, but as technology evolves you can catch the would-be burglars before they even break-in.
A Lake Clarke Shores homeowner is coping with what many homeowner’s fear.
“You always think it won’t happen to you,” she said.
Her home alarm system sounded the second burglars tried to break in, scaring them away. So, she checked her doorbell camera via an app on her smartphone, hoping to get a look at the guy who tried to get in.
“I mean it’s pretty clear quality. You can see exactly who he was, he looked right in the camera,” she said.
Clear as day, she saw a man in a neon green traffic vest casing her house. The woman shared the video with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
The technology started recording the moment someone pulled up into the driveway. A few minutes later, a stranger is at the door, but doesn’t ring the doorbell. Still, the doorbell camera is recording all motion around the front door.
And when the camera starts recording, the owner gets notified via the doorbell camera app. In this victim’s case, a neighbor witnesses men in vests running away after her home alarm system went off. The scary part for this homeowner is that the would-be burglar appears to pose as a utility worker.
“It just kind of made us more aware of situations that can happen,” she added.
Now neighbors on the block are adding doorbell camera systems too. We took a look at what else is available by talking to an expert at The Home Depot.
“The technology is evolving,” said Don Faria, with The Home Depot.
The prices range from 70 dollars to 300 dollars for a camera system that can alert you when there’s danger. Most systems even have a talk-back option.
“Say you see somebody in the house you can tell them I’m calling the police right now and it will come over on speak on the camera,” said Faria.
Other smart home kits can tell you if your garage door is open, if a window is open or if your door is unlocked.
“This tells me what doors are open, what motion, what temperature is in my house,” added Faria.
Systems so smart the technology can detect when you’re low on grocery items
“How many eggs I have in my refrigerator,” said Faria as he showed the image of an egg carton on his smartphone app.
But Faria says if you’re looking for simple and affordable, technology like the Ring doorbell cam is a good place to start. It’s important to note you will need a wifi setup and there is no monthly fee.
“We have the guarded community people that are really looking at watching their homes during the day for that guy who steals the UPS packages or the person that’s prowling around the neighborhood,” said Faria.
For the Lake Clarke Shores homeowner, her cameras are offering peace of mind that police know who tried to get into her home.
“It gives you a heads up, it lets you know who is around, what’s around and it’s a comforting feeling,” she said.
While the sheriff's office is still searching for the potential burglar, detectives say they're chances of arresting people skyrocket when they have clear surveillance video.