New Devices Help Prevent Home Break-Ins While You're Away
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CHICAGO (CBS) - There are 2 million home burglaries reported each year in the United States.
The average homeowner loses more than $2,200 per break-in. But, there are some new devices out there to keep your family safe and the good news is they won't break the bank.
"He would knock and knock and then he would stop knocking and walk around a little bit," Hannah Bridges said.
Bridges spotted a stranger at the door one morning and called her mom, who was driving home from work.
"And she said, 'Mom, he won't stop knocking.' I said, 'I'll turn my camera on and I'll watch him,'" Bonnie Bridges said.
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Bonnie was referring to her brand new $199 Canary camera in the living room.
As she called up the picture on a cell phone app, the intruder kicked in the front door.
"My entire body went numb and I just immediately called 911," Bonnie said.
"I heard him coming up the stairs. He went like this to check if it was locked then just kicked it open," Hannah said.
Hannah's screams sent him on his way and her mom's video led to his arrest.
Bridges added more security cameras inside and out and learned to use features like the siren, which she can activate from her phone.
There are plenty of do-it-yourself systems if you have Wi-Fi and a smartphone.
"I can just plug into my wall, download the app and immediately see what's happening in and around my house. It's a huge shift in the market," CNET Reviews Senior Associate Editor Megan Wollerton said.
Smart home technology plays a big role like the Vivint security system at Best Buy.
"So what if on your phone you could just see if your door was locked or not? You could lock your door, you could do your garage, you could arm your security system just like that," Vivint's Danny Jones said.
A popular feature for around $200 is a doorbell cam with two-way voice.
When the sensor detects motion your phone beeps and you can talk to the person through the speaker.
That's what sold homeowner David Creek.
"It's nice to know what's going on at home when I'm not around," Creek said.
He feels safer knowing he can see what's going on inside and outside his home whenever he wants.
"This is about the only thing that we can do to make sure that we are protected," Creek said.
Bonnie says her intent was really to watch her kids.
"My children were not very pleased, but after this incident she said. 'Mommy, I'm so glad you got that camera,'" Bonnie said.