SafeTech’s Peace of Mind publication includes security tips from SafeTech’s loss prevention experts as well as in-depth statistical crime reports and facts on safety and security. Peace of Mind is the only way to get this exhaustive resource of security, crime, safety and loss prevention delivered to your inbox for absolutely free. Peace of Mind is the definitive resource for loss prevention advice and the most recognized and trusted authority on safety and security, just as SafeTech has established itself as the premiere loss prevention company in North America.

How To Prevent Contractors From Robbing Your Home

Whether you’re renovating your home or making some repairs around the house, there will inevitably be a time where you can’t handle a project and you have to look to outside help. Working with a contractor can get the work done much faster, but it’s also important to keep safety in mind. Remember that, in the majority of cases, you will be trusting a contractor with access to your home. You wouldn’t let just anybody into your home, would you? This is why it’s very important to exercise caution when working with contractors. Before you hire someone, make sure to check their references. Many people ask for work samples, quotes and reviews of a contractor’s work, but it’s also very important to check more personal references as well. Someone that is skilled in building kitchens or offers a low rate to repair your plumbing may not be a trustworthy individual. Whenever possible, get the names of some of the contractor’s former clients. You can use these references to not only research work quality, but also to determine if the contractor is honourable. You’ll want to know if were any problems with the contractor’s previous work relationships. Once you’ve selected a contractor, the next decision you must make is regarding access to your home. Are you planning on being present during the contractor’s work? Will you be stopping by occasionally to check in? Or will you trust the contractor to work alone in your home? If the contractor is working alone, will you be there to let him or her into the house in the morning and lock up at night? Or do you feel comfortable giving a relative stranger a copy of your house key and the code to your security system? You will also need to find out if the contractor is planning on using any subcontractors and, if yes, how these people will be monitored. Your contractor may be a trustworthy person, but the three other people he lets into your home to help complete the job may not be. Find out how your contractor knows everyone else involved and make sure you can trust all of these people. But material theft is not the only type of theft you should watch out for. It’s also important to ensure that a contractor isn’t stealing your time. When contracting out work, you need to know if everyone is arriving on time and if they’re working the hours they’re being paid for. An excellent way to prevent theft and increase productivity is by using security cameras. Just knowing that they’re being watched makes many people more honest and productive and the cameras will record what time the workers start and stop their work. If you have Internet-enabled cameras you’ll be able to watch what’s going on inside your house from anywhere with an Internet connection. If you don’t have cameras, you can use your home alarm system to make sure people are entering and leaving on time. If you notice that your alarm is being disarmed or armed at odd times, you can be pretty sure that your contractors are not working the hours they say they are! In addition, at the end of the day when the workers are ready to lock up, they can turn on the alarm and leave your home secure. Reduce Theft By 50% With Security Cameras See more security camera information here.

Did You Know? In 2008, 51.5 percent of residential burglaries took place during the day. Only 42 percent of commercial burglaries occurred during the day. (Source: FBI)

Life Saving Advice From Serial Killers: The Classified Ad Rapist

What can we do to avoid being victims of attackers? We all know the basic rules: lock your doors, do not talk to strangers, get an alarm system, have a guard dog at home and trust your instincts. Other less-known advice includes having deadbolt locks on all doors and avoiding wearing a pony tail at night. In addition, never bring God into a conversation when you face an attacker, as it will only enrage them. Fortunately for us, American serial killers today open up to give us tricks in their own words on how to better protect ourselves from others like them. Their advice is effective against any type of aggressor. Take their tips into consideration since they come from the experts and, ironically, usually relate to their own crimes. People tend to believe that people such as British Columbia serial killer, Robert Pickton, are of a rare species. Yet, in addition to approximately 40 serial killers already caught in Canada, many Canadian serial murderers run free. In fact, 12 serial killers were notorious enough to be given nicknames without ever being found. They still live somewhere among us. The Edmonton Prostitute Killer, the Canada Highway murderer, the Highway 16 Killer, the London Ontario Killer, the NW Territories Headhunter, The Ontario Lover’s Lane Killer, The Ottawa Teen Killer, The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children Murderer, the Toronto Prostitute Executioner, the Toronto Rape Slayer, the Montreal Boys Slasher and the Montreal Gay Ripper are all serial killers who were never caught. Also, many homicides will never be linked together even if some of the murderers are captured. It is sometimes impossible to know if the crimes were committed by the same individual. Nadia Fezzani is a Canadian journalist who has conducted extensive research and interviews with many notorious American serial killers. As a specialist on serial killers, Ms. Fezzani gives conferences on the topic to university students and to different organizations. She also works with production companies on TV documentaries. She’s gotten into the minds of some of the most dangerous serial killers alive and learned to understand how they think. She has used this knowledge to provide helpful tips on how you can avoid becoming a victim of a violent attack.

The Classified Ad Rapist

We will never know exactly how many women Robert Joe Long raped, but experts estimate the number is somewhere between 50 and 150. “Bobby Joe” retired from his X-ray technician job to become a classified ads professional. After exploring the newspaper’s items put up for sale, this father of two would visit the housewives selling their furniture when their husbands would likely be at work. He then threatened them with a knife, before binding them and raping them. On a few occasions, daughters as young as 12 or 13 years old were victimized. After being caught one day, he decided he would never be arrested again. He moved on to coming out of the bushes, kidnapping girls from their bicycles or just by meeting strippers and prostitutes on drugs. He raped and murdered 10 identified women by beating, stabbing, strangling, asphyxiating and/or shooting them.

Security Advice

Be safe, be careful. Most importantly, be smart. Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation, not even once. Listen to your “little voice.” Anytime it says, “Hey, this is not right!” RUN! Never let a male into your home or car, unless you know him well and you know you can trust him. Also, big and nasty dogs are always good bodyguards.

Unreported Crime Skews Statistics

Statistics Canada’s police-reported crime statistics show Canada’s crime rate falling each year. However, these numbers only tell part of the story. Unfortunately, many crimes are not reported to police. A 2004 Criminal Victimization Study conducted by Stats Canada shows that 53 percent of robberies are not reported to police. The study also found that theft of household property was up 42 percent between 2000 and 2004. In many cases, victims do not report crimes out of fear or because they feel the crime is too trivial to report. Some feel that law enforcement will not be able to catch the criminal and thus there is no point in reporting the crime. Data from the United States presents similar findings. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that only about 40 percent of property crimes were reported to the police in 2008. Only 33 percent of violent crimes are reported in Canada whereas about half of all violent crimes are reported in the United States.

SafeTech’s 2010 City Crime Report Now Available

Protect yourself! Find out where and what type of crime is happening in your neighbourhood and your city with SafeTech’s 2010 City Crime Report. Use the 2010 City Crime Report to:
  • Determine exactly where crime is happening in Canada
  • Examine the types of crime taking place in your region and across the country
  • Compare different areas of the country on several different types of crime
  • Recognize the severity and likelihood of crime taking place in your city
  • Understand the overall crime situation in this country
Crime statistics vary drastically across the country and only by knowing the information for your region can you properly protect yourself, your family and your possessions. SafeTech Alarm Systems has been protecting people and property for over 20 years. We have compiled crime statistics from across Canada, broken them down by province and city and presented them in a straightforward manner that will help keep you safe! To receive a free copy of SafeTech Alarm Systems’ Canadian City Crime Report 2010, please click here.

Online Technical Support, Special Promotions and More!

On the new SafeTech Alarm Systems website, you’ll have access to special product promotions as well! Don’t miss out on exciting deals and promotional offers! We’re always working to add and improve website features in order make our website more appealing, more functional and easier to navigate. We invite you to visit the new site and let us know what you think. Stay tuned for even more enhancements to the SafeTech Alarm Systems website over the next few months!

Need help troubleshooting your alarm system?

The new SafeTech Website online technical support features and live online help that will guide you through any issue! Now you can solve any problems you may have with your alarm system quickly, easily and without picking up the phone or waiting for a technician to arrive! We even offer live online chat with members of our technical support team if you have any questions. Visit our technical support page here.

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