Burglary is a concern for both Costa Ricans and foreign residents. Everybody has heard of someone who has been victimized by this crime but not everyone has been affected by it. No society in crime free. Although burglary may be an issue, fortunately Costa Rica has been spared from horribly violent rampages like the ones that occurred in Connecticut, Portland or the Colorado movie theater.
Anyway burglary is a concern here and people should be proactive and take the correct measures to try and prevent it. What we do here is try to put as many barriers and deterrents between our homes and the bad guys as possible. For example, burglar alarms like ADT, cameras, gates, bars on windows, dogs and neighborhood watchman. One of the most effective means of keeping the bad guys at bay is an electrified fence. More and more families are choosing this option to have peace of mind and protect their valuables.
Most electrified fences include a battery back up in case the power goes out. The wires can be placed on roofs or on walls just like razor wire. These systems are very effective. If anyone comes into contact with one of the wires the person will receive an electric shock of between 6,000 to 13,000 volts of electricity, will be jolted, will experience a muscular contraction and “get the message.” If installed property by a professional you will not die from receiving a shock from this device. My former home had electric fences and one of my Costa Rican neighbors once joked, “If you smell meat cooking, then you know you have caught someone trying to break in.” This scenario is highly unlikely since a person is usually thrown backwards and cannot stick to the wire.
IMPORTANT: Electrical fences must have visible signs that say Alto Voltaje (High Voltage) in Spanish.
An alarm can be incorporated into this system as well as a device that automatically notifies the owners, neighbors or police by telephone when someone tries to beak into your home.
When choosing a company to install an electrified fence be sure it offers the following services:
- Permanent technical support
- Guarantee
- Protectors so that the system won’t be damaged by lightening or power surges
- Offer other security devices and replacement parts
