There’s hardly anything more steady and reliable than a Minnesotan. In the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” you’ll be hard-pressed to find a person you can’t get along with. It’s no wonder Minnesota lands high on some lists as one of the friendliest states in the country. It should also come as no surprise, then, that Minnesota is also one of the safest states in the country. Sure, the numbers might say you have a 1 in 45 chance of being the victim of a property crime, but come on. This is Minnesota. We all know those numbers are fairly misleading. Nevertheless, home security in Minnesota should still be a priority, especially if you live in one of Minnesota’s uncommonly dense population areas.
Home Security Provider Requirements for Minnesota
We here at HomeAlarmReport believe in providing the most accurate information possible. This means researching in detail security company requirements in each state, Minnesota included. Minnesota appears to be a bit of a weird one for us, however. As much as we dug, there was little could find related to the government level requirements regulating home security providers in Minnesota. In fact, from what we can tell, there’s little to no oversight for this particular industry, beyond the need for a standard business license. Indeed, we even scoured the state’s database of specific business licenses, to no avail.
This might be (understandably) worrisome to some of you. Particularly, we found more to indicate that Minnesota’s police and emergency services are far more concerned with preventing and punishing home security users for false alarms than with regulating the home security industry in the state. From what we discovered, according to Minnesota’s statutes for electricians (page 77), those performing electrical work related to home security systems must be licensed to do that work.
Beyond this, there are no requirements for home security providers, such as background checks for employees.
We know what you’re thinking. “Should I be packing my bags and jumping ship?” Not quite yet. Although the state and most local municipalities do not target home security companies for particular scrutiny, the industry itself is a bit self-regulating. Meet the Minnesota Electronic Security and Technology Association. This small industry association has dedicated itself to cleaning up the industry in Minnesota. According to the MNESTA site, the organization has “Restored more than $1.5 million in funds for enforcement of permit and licensing violations, keeping fraudulent “security companies” from stealing our business and tarnishing our industry’s credibility”.
Hopefully, that makes you feel somewhat more at ease. While Minnesota takes a bit of a light hand to the home security industry in its state, the industry professionals have done the legwork to help clean up and keep the industry clean . Nothing better than an industry that polices itself! We suggest you check with the MNESTA for which security providers are members of their association and then check back with HomeAlarmReport on each company’s service ratings and reviews. Alternatively, we suggest you choose a nationally recognized company as they will be held to rules and regulations enforced by other states.
Erecting Home Security Cameras
Thankfully, Minnesota is more than reasonable when it comes to home security cameras. While there is far more language on what you can and can’t do with your security cameras than there is regarding home security providers, Minnesota keeps the language on the straight and narrow. The relevant law here is Minnesota’s statute 609.746 INTERFERENCE WITH PRIVACY. Summarizing the text of this statute is fairly simple: “Don’t put cameras up that point into someone else’s home or on someone else’s property”.
Really, it’s as simple as that. If you’re using your home security cameras with the intent to invade someone’s privacy, you’re using them in an illegal way. However, if your goals are to secure your own home, you can easily make sure they don’t point into your neighbor’s windows. That way, you’ll be on the right side of Minnesota’s laws and be able to protect your home with high-quality security cameras. Indeed, given that Minnesota is also a “one-party” consent law as far as audio recording goes, you’ll find you can put up all the security cameras you want — within reason, of course.
Safety During Natural Disasters
In case you haven’t been to Minnesota, note that there three types of natural disasters that commonly affect the state: floods, tornados, and harsh winter storms. While Minnesota is somewhat far from the heart of Tornado Alley, the southern part of the state is just on the tip and known to receive its share of tornadoes from time to time. Meanwhile, as a Midwestern state bordering Canada, winter rages in, bringing heavy snows and storms. Finally, the state’s relatively flat land, combined with the large number of rivers, streams and other bodies of water, makes flooding particularly common, especially as the winter snow begins to melt.
What can you do to help survive your time in Minnesota? Stay prepared, of course. During the winter, make sure you have alternative sources of energy prepared for snow storms and power outages, and ensure you have plenty of extra food, water, and clothing ready for when you may get snowed in for several days.
Keep those tools handy as well, as you’ll need them in case of a flood. However, make sure you know how to treat flood waters. Pay close attention to flood warnings, and know your local flood routes. If you do get trapped in your house during a flood, quickly move to the upper levels of your home, and make sure you have roof access to your house. Never drink or try to swim in flood waters.
Finally, tornadoes are always unpredictable. Pay attention to tornado warnings, and keep a watch out for weather changes that might indicate tornado weather. If a tornado warning does occur, get to an area of your home with no or few windows, and hide under a heavy object that will be sturdy enough to keep you safe should a tornado hit your home.
Yes, Minnesota is not the first place on everyone’s minds when they think of U.S. states. But don’t let the state’s lack of popularity fool you. Minnesota is not only beautiful but overwhelmingly safe. And since the state has a number of home security companies who dedicate themselves to ensuring their industry maintains its integrity, it might just make Minnesota one of the best and safest states around.