What We Can Learn from this Home Invasion
This incident highlights the fact that you should never allow strangers into your home regardless of how official they look. You should also be careful whenever strangers are working around your home to prevent home invasion. Criminals often pretend to work for utilities, construction companies or other services that may be working very close to your home. They do so in order to scout out your location for a possible break in and to instill a false sense of security. People are often more trusting of those who are “on the job” than they are of complete strangers who have no reason to be walking around their property. it’s not difficult to become a victim of a home invasion.If you notice any people working around your home, telephone the organization that they claim to work for and confirm that they are legitimate workers. Do not confront them directly as they may become angry. If anyone asks to enter your home for whatever reason, you should also contact the organization that the person claims to work for. Do not open your door even a small amount for an unexpected stranger. Criminals can take this opportunity to perform home invasion. You are much safer behind a locked door than behind a door that is open a crack. Sometimes that crack is enough to compromise your security as it makes it much easier for a criminal to force his or her way in.
How to Prevent Home Invasion
It is also important that you do not reveal too much information about your living arrangements or your daily schedule. If criminals are scouting out your home, they will want to know how many people are inside the house at any given time. It is always easier to break into a home when no one is home than when many people are present. It is also easier to perform home invasion when only a single person is there. A group of criminals can often easily overpower one person. If criminals know your daily schedule and living arrangements, they will may wait to strike when you are at your most vulnerable. Make it difficult for a criminal to know who is at home by having lights that operate on timers, by leaving one or more cars in the driveway and by keeping the house looking “lived in” no matter how many people are actually present.It’s also very important that your home has proper security features. The front door to your home isn’t just how you enter most often, it’s also the entrance that many criminals try first. Ensure that your front door is solid and that the frame and hinges can not easily be damaged. Lock all exterior doors with high-quality dead bolts. Dead bolts are much more difficult to tamper with or destroy than other locks. Install window bars on your windows to prevent criminals from entering through them.
SafeTech Alarm Systems has been protecting people and property for more than 20 years. We understand what it takes to keep your home safe. For more information and how you can protect your home and your family, please contact SafeTech Alarm Systems and speak to one of our loss prevention professionals.
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Upgrading Your Security System
You may already have a security system in your home or office. The system may be functioning properly. You may never have experienced a break-in or other issue. You may have scared off or caught a criminal in the act due to your security system. However, it is important that you do not become complacent. Security technology is continuously improving to deal with a wide variety of different·issues and to meet the modern needs of today. Security systems aren’t just burglar alarms anymore. They can protect you from a variety of different hazards and problems in a number of different ways. Upgrading your security system to meet changing needs is an excellent idea.
When someone says the words “security system” the first thing that pops to mind for most people is “alarm system.” An alarm system is a critical component of a security system, but it’s just one out of many vital components. If you have a home alarm system or a commercial alarm system, you may wish to consider adding other features to your property in order to improve your overall security. One of the best ways to do this is to add security cameras. Security cameras can catch criminals in the act and aid the police in identifying and prosecuting them. Monitored security cameras provide 24/7 protection·by an experienced and reliable central monitoring station. Internet-connected security cameras let you watch over your home from anywhere with an Internet connection. For more information, please visit our security cameras section. Security cameras are a great upgrade if you do not already have them.
Your security system can protect you from much more than just break-ins. Did you know that it’s easy to add fire protection to your home or commercial alarm system? You can add monitored fire protection to your existing security and receive 24 hour fire, smoke and carbon monoxide protection. This means that the fire department can be quickly dispatched to your home even if you are not around to hear the alarm. You won’t have to worry about suffering major damage without anyone noticing. SafeTech Alarm Systems offers monitored fire protection and monitored carbon monoxide protection services. These systems can greatly reduce the potential damage to your home and even save your life.
You can also upgrade your actual alarm system itself. Are all entrances to your home or business protected by an alarm system? Remember to include all doors and windows, including those on your second floor. Burglars know that many second floor windows are left unprotected and they will attempt to enter your home through those windows. You will also want to protect your garage door with an alarm. Not only do many garages allow direct access to your home, but they also contain tools that could be used in a break in. Upgrading your security system to eliminate these vulnerabilities will keep you safer. There are many ways to prevent home invasion.
Modern technology also allows you to monitor and control your security system via your smart phone, tablet or laptop. This means you can watch your security cameras, set your alarm and perform many other tasks from anywhere with an Internet connection. Please contact us for more details.
Impact of Last Year’s Riot Still Felt in Vancouver
The riot that broke out following the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver caused a great deal of damage, both physical and emotional. Many stores, businesses and other properties were seriously damaged in the riot. However, recent data shows that the impact of the riot is still felt in the city.
The Vancouver Police investigation into the riot currently uses so many police resources that it has led to 9.3 per cent increase in police response times. The riot investigation involves more than 70 officers from all local police forces as well as municipal departments and the RCMP.
“We believe the slower times were a bit of an anomaly caused by the tremendous impact of the massive riot investigation that stretched resources over those months,” said police spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness in an email to the Vancouver Sun. Response times are expected to return to previous levels once all officers return to their original assignments.
The good news for Vancouver is that while police response times have increased, levels of violent crime fell 6.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2012. Unfortunately, property time across the city has grown by 3.1 per cent.
Security systems such as surveillance cameras and other security technologies can help reduce the amount of property crime in an area. Not only are these technologies great for catching criminals in the act, but they are also an excellent crime deterrent. Criminals do not want to be seen or heard committing crimes and installing modern security systems can do exactly that. There are many ways to prevent home invasion. A criminal would much rather not break into a home or business at all than break into one that is properly protected by a security system that includes surveillance cameras and 24 hour monitoring.
Security guard services are another great way to keep your property safe. Security guards can react to changing situations easily, often faster than the police can since a security guard is already on the scene. He or she can see exactly what is going on at your property and take the required actions immediately. A trained security guard is an excellent way to protect your business or to keep your next event secure. Contact us for more information.
Business Loss Prevention Tips
Whether you have a retail business, an office, a warehouse or any other kind of business, loss prevention is incredibly important. Both customers and employees should be aware of your company’s active loss prevention plan and know that the correct security measures in place. Just knowing that an establishment takes security seriously can often deter many criminals. SafeTech Alarm Systems has been protecting people and property for more than 20 years. We understand how important loss prevention is and know what tactics need to be taken in order to stop it.
Theft and property damage can come from a variety of different areas depending on the type of business that you run. Customers can shoplift goods from your store, burglars can break in and steal from your warehouse and even employees can become thieves, taking property from a workplace. It is important to understand all of the dangers that exist so that you can properly prepare for them.
Security cameras are an excellent way to protect your business. If they are positioned properly and regularly monitored, they allow you to watch your entire business easily and efficiently. In addition to installing surveillance cameras in areas where clients and customers have access, you will also want to place cameras in stock rooms, warehouses and other locations in your company where assets are stored.
According to the US Department of Commerce, employee theft costs businesses up to $50 billion each year. This is why it is also important to implement access control systems in your company. There should be locks on storage rooms and other sensitive areas. These rooms should only be accessible by employees who absolutely need to access the area. You should also keep a log of who enters these areas in case there is an issue. An access control system that uses key tags or key cards is an efficient and practical way to limit access to certain areas. An access control system can allow only certain employees into designated areas of a building and you can easily track which areas any employee has entered at any time. Speaking of employee theft, it is also important to have a series of checks and balances for any employees who could be working with financial data or sensitive information. You need to ensure that you can track their actions at all time in order to eliminate theft.
Electronic article surveillance is another excellent way to increase security in your business. These systems are most often noticed at retail establishment, but they are also effective in a number of different businesses. Electronic article surveillance involves attaching a security tag to inventory and installing a detection system to track the tags. This prevents staff, customers, criminals and shoplifters from removing inventory from your business without your knowledge. Once the security tag passes the detection system (which is usually located at the entrance of an establishment) an alarm will sound.
Another excellent way to secure your business is to use security guard services. Guards can either patrol your property, be stationed at a security desk or make regular rounds in a marked security vehicle in order to monitor your property for any issues or security weaknesses. A uniformed security guard either in a marked car or stationed on your property will certainly deter criminals. Furthermore, a security guard can actively monitor developing situations and react based on exactly what is happening on the ground in real time. Keep your home safe from home invasion, as well as your business. For more information on security guard services, please visit our security guards page.