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Safe Social Media Usage Tips: Be careful what you post online, it could attract criminals

Many people post on social networks to share information with friends and family, to have conversations, and to show the world how their lives are going. However, when you post online, always remember how key safe social media usage is. It’s important to remember that people other than your intended audience could see your posts. Unfortunately, criminals frequently look to social media for opportunities to rob unsuspecting victims.

Police in Philadelphia say that a man’s social media posts about a jewellery inheritance led to a recent armed robbery. Three men wearing ski masks and armed with pistols broke into the home of a 19-year-old man, threatened the man and demanded jewellery and valuables. According to police, the suspects mentioned during the robbery that they had targeted the victim after seeing several Facebook and Instagram posts he had made about recently inheriting some expensive jewellery.

The victim and several others in the home were unhurt during the robbery and the suspects fled the scene with two gold chains, a Rolex watch and cell phones. They have not been caught by police.

This crime demonstrates the importance of safe social media usage.

Be Careful What You Post Online: Safe Social Media Usage Tips

It is very important that you focus on safe social media usage and that you are always careful with what you post on the Internet. Even if you have strict privacy settings on your accounts, the information that you post can still get out. The recent robbery in Philadelphia is far from the first time a criminal has used social media posts to plan a robbery.

One of the most common ways that criminals use social media to commit crimes is by researching when people won’t be home and taking this opportunity to break into their properties.

By sharing holiday plans in real-time online, you let criminals know that you’ll be out of town for a while. They can use this information to rob your home when they know you won’t be around.

A good safe social media usage tip is to share vacation details after the fact, once you have arrived home safely. Tell individual friends and family members in person the dates that you’ll be away and don’t post these details online.

What other safe social media usage tips can you use to protect yourself? By ensuring that you have a monitored security system installed that will alert you (and the authorities) if a crime takes place at your property while you are away. A home alarm system that also includes video surveillance camera monitoring is an even better set up. This way, even if you are away from home, your property will be watched over by a central monitoring station. In the event of a crime or other trouble conditions, both you and the authorities will be notified right away.

Winter Fire Protection Tips are Important

When the weather is freezing, you may not think about fires. But that doesn’t mean that fires can’t happen. Unfortunately, winter fires are a serious and potentially deadly issue. For this reason, following winter fire protection tips is incredibly important.

This is because home fires occur more in the winter than during any other season. There are a number of reasons for this. One main reason is that people use more tools, appliances and electronics to heat their homes during the cold winter months. Half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January and February. Heating equipment is involved in one of every six reported home fires and one of every five home fire deaths.

These statistics show that following winter fire protection tips is important. One of the key ways to protect yourself and your family is to use caution when heating your home.

Some Important Winter Fire Protection Tips to Keep you Safe

Here are some home heating safety tips and winter fire protection tips:

• Keep home heating equipment (portable space heaters, etc.) at least three feet away from anything that can burn
• Have heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and other home heating equipment inspected, cleaned and – if necessary – repaired by a professional at the start of each winter
• Never use space heaters or other heating equipment that is damaged or functioning incorrectly
• Don’t leave operating space heaters unattended
• Plug only one heater into an electrical outlet at a time and avoid using extension cords
• Keep portable generators outside and away from windows
• Do not burn charcoal or propane in an enclosed space
• Install carbon monoxide detectors and test them frequently

Carbon monoxide is another common health risk during the winter months. In addition to following winter fire protection tips, also ensure that you have a plan for protecting yourself from carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odourless and tasteless gas that can be deadly. Many types of heaters can produce carbon monoxide and the gas can cause serious health problems and even death without warning.

When considering winter fire protection tips, think about installing monitored carbon monoxide detectors. These devices are connected to a central monitoring station that will alert you if unsafe levels of carbon monoxide are present in your home. This could save your life.

When it comes to winter fire protection tips, pay attention to heating your home safely and take precautions to ensure that every member of your family understands how to heat your home safely. Doing so can help prevent tragic accidents.

Child safety is mandatory. Children escaping the safety and warmth of their homes highlights the importance of a home alarm system and security technology. There is a crucial need to take steps to secure your home in whatever way possible in order to protect yourself and your family. A home alarm system is an essential part of any home security set up. Recent events highlight the importance of a home alarm with detection devices connected to it as a practical way to secure your home. Frequently when we think of home security, we think of taking action to prevent bad people from getting into a home. However, a home alarm system can also be used to keep loved ones safely inside and to alert occupants to the fact that someone has just left it. Here are some tips on child safety.

Child safety always comes first

Having a hinge lock on your door is a good step to take in order to keep your family members safe. A home alarm system can also be used to protect children.

There are several ways to secure a home so that a small child (or anyone else for that matter) cannot leave the house without being noticed. Pure strategies involve using locks or door chains, but many children are smart enough to disable these tools. Parents are frequently shocked to discover that a child was able to get around certain protection tools and these parents often find themselves struggling to stay ahead of their children in order to protect them. It is a difficult and stressful job.

One way to decrease the likelihood of someone leaving your home without being noticed is to install an alarm system that has detection sensors on vulnerable doors and windows. These sensors can trigger a siren to sound immediately when a door or window is opened. Taking these precautions will give family members a better chance of hearing someone leaving the home unexpectedly. The alarm will provide an opportunity to react and possibly track down this person before he or she can make it too far.

Unfortunately, there is no foolproof or fail-safe way to ensure thoroughly that a terrible incident will be avoided. However, there is much that can be done to ensure child safety. By taking precautions and looking at your situation through the eyes of an active and curious child, you can reduce the likelihood of an awful tragedy taking place.

Choosing Home Alarm Security System to Protect Your Property

In order to protect your home, you’ll need to make a smart decision when choosing home alarm security system. This includes alarm systems, but it also includes a variety of other security tools. The most effective home alarm security setups are those that strategically combine different types of security technology together in order to improve the overall effectiveness of the system.

For example, a home alarm is a very useful security tool. However, combining it with a home alarm security monitoring system makes the overall system much more effective at stopping crime. Monitoring ensures that, no matter where you are or what time of day it is, the staff at the central station will be alerted and able to response to a trouble condition right away. This makes your property safer.

When you are choosing home alarm security system, you will want to seriously consider connecting your system to a monitoring station. You can also connect your security cameras. Doing so lets the central station view live and prerecorded footage during a trouble condition. This gives the monitoring station the ability to view what is taking place during a crime and this information can be passed to the authorities.

Tips for Choosing Home Alarm Security System

When you are choosing home alarm security system, there are a number of factors to take into account. Each property is different, so you will need to examine your current situation and make a choice based on your unique needs.

For example, a property with many windows will require more physical security in the form of bars and gates than a property that has fewer windows. A location that has many “hidden” areas will have a greater need for lighting and security cameras than a property that is more wide open.

This point shows why choosing home alarm security system company is so important. You will want to work with a company that is knowledgeable and one that understands how to appropriately evaluate your needs and that can provide sound advice. The loss prevention experts at SafeTech Alarm Systems understand what it takes to keep properties safe. We know how to strategically combine different security technologies to create the most effective home alarm security setup possible.

Event Security for a Company Party

If you’re throwing a company party, you may not consider event security. After all, the party will be mostly employees and their families and you can trust them, right? That may be the case, but there are still a number of reasons to seriously consider a event security service.

One main reason is that event security keeps those who shouldn’t be allowed into the party out of the party. You would be surprised at what a big target parties are for criminals. Why? Because they know they can take advantage of the large crowd and the party atmosphere to commit crimes.

For example, criminals frequently utilize corporate events and other large gatherings to sneak in unnoticed and steal valuables. People who are attending what they assume is a private party will be more relaxed with their valuables. They will leave their purses at the table when they get up to get a drink. They’ll leave their wallets in this coats all night. At company parties, many people tend to leave valuable items unattended. This is because they assume that everyone at the party is trustworthy since they’re all invited guests. Criminals take advantage of this situation. They sneak into the party and steal valuables when no one is looking. For these reasons, event security service is important.

How Event Security Service Keeps Everyone Safe

Event security can prevent these crimes. There are a number of ways that using event security service helps keep everyone safe. First of all, an event security guard can watch the door and ensure that only invited guests are admitted into the party. This prevents strangers from entering and potentially causing problems.

Another benefit to using event security service for your company party is that guards protect company events is by watching the crowd. They are always on the lookout for suspicious behaviour at an event. Event security guards are trained to not only recognize potentially suspicious behaviour, but they are also able to react to it quickly and professionally. If there are any issues at your company function, you can have faith knowing that your team will be able to handle these issues discretely. There are a number of reasons why you should choose event security service.

Event security teams can wear professional blazers and more formal attire or distinct security attire that identifies them more clearly. It’s up to you. This choice allows you to ensure that they match the look and feel of your special event while providing protection. Trust event security for a company party.

Home Security Reviews: Why They Are Important

For many people, once they have a home security system installed, they don’t think about it very much. However, this usually isn’t the best practices to follow. Home security reviews are incredibly important and are something that need to be regularly conducted and updated and modified as needed.

Why? There are a number of reasons for home security reviews. The first is that security risks change. Due to a number of factors, a risk that was previously a low priority could later become a more immediate and pressing need. For example, you might not have been concerned about the amount of light that your home security cameras could receive when you installed your system, but if a large building was recently built nearby, your cameras might now be shrouded in darkness. These are the kinds of situations that you need to look out for when you are doing your home security reviews.

Another major factor is improvements in technology. If you installed your home security system many years ago, there could very likely be technologies available today that weren’t available just a few years ago. Even if certain home security technologies existed when you had your system installed, they might have been cost prohibitive at the time. Those costs could have very likely gone down over the last few years, so it makes sense to review your home security setup and see if you can now afford to implement these tools.

How to do Home Security Reviews

When it comes time to doing your home security reviews, it’s important that you take a careful and critical look at your setup. You should try to look at your home security system through the eyes of a criminal. If you were trying to break into your own home, how would you do it? What weak points can you see that could jeopardize your security? Examining these factors is crucial to successful home security reviews.

You’ll also want to speak to a loss prevention professional, such as the professionals at SafeTech. This can help you understand the home security technologies that are out there and their applications. A trained professional can also help you find weaknesses or areas for improvement.

When it comes to home security reviews, it’s crucial that you stay informed and diligent. Criminals are always coming up with new crimes, so you’ll want to stay a step ahead of them at all times!

Winter Home Security: Watch Out for Warm-Up Car Thefts

A big winter home security tip involves vehicle security. Criminals are on the lookout to steal cars that are easy targets. Home security also means protecting your vehicle and your family.

A recent car theft in Malton, Ontario was especially terrifying for the vehicle owner since her nine-month-old baby was in the back seat of the stolen automobile. Thankfully, the vehicle and the child were found unharmed shortly afterward. Police say that there is no evidence to indicate that the vehicle or the child was targeted and that it appears that the suspect was committing what is known as a “warm-up car theft.” These thefts are important to look out for and are a key aspect of home security for winter months.

A warm-up car theft is a situation where a criminal steals a vehicle that has been left running unattended to “warm it up.” During the cold winter months, many drivers start their vehicles and leave them running to warm them up while they stay indoors away from the car. In the case of the vehicle stolen in Malton, the mother left the car running to keep it warm for the child while she went inside the gas station to pay for gas.

Protect Yourself with Tips for Home Security for Winter Months

Home security for winter is different than other seasons. In order to keep your vehicle safe, never leave your car unattended when it is running or with the keys in the ignition, even if you only plan to be away from it for a short period. At this time of year, criminals are on the lookout for cars that are running with no one watching them. Stealing a car that already has the keys in the ignition is simple and it literally takes only a few seconds. Keeping your car safe is a crucial part of winter home security.

Warm-up car thefts are very common, especially during the colder months which makes looking out for them a crucial aspect winter home security. For example, a Mercedes Benz was stolen from a driveway in Brampton while the owner went inside his home to pick something up, leaving the car running. At the time, Peel Regional Police stressed the importance of keeping vehicles locked and ensuring that valuables are out of sight at all times.

Warm-up thefts can be avoided by using a remote starter to warm up the car. If your vehicle does not have this feature, it’s recommended that you use a second set of keys to lock the vehicle while you are warming it up. However, the best way to prevent these types of car thefts is to never leave your keys in the ignition when you are away from the vehicle. Even if the doors are locked, a criminal can quickly force his or her way into the vehicle and steal it. Always keep vehicle and home security in mind.

“Leaving a car running and unlocked in the driveway or parking lot is an open invitation to them to drive off with a vehicle that they normally couldn’t steal,” says Joe Wehrle of The National Insurance Crime Bureau. “Today’s late model vehicles are very difficult to steal thanks for improved anti-theft technology, but unfortunately many of the cars and trucks that are taken today are left unlocked with the keys inside.”

In addition to locking your vehicle, never leaving the keys in the ignition and keeping valuables out of sight, other important vehicle safety and home security tips include: • Using a car security system such as an alarm
• Installing a physical theft prevention device that locks the steering wheel or brakes
• Parking in well-lit, well-traveled areas
• Keeping your vehicle in a locked garage whenever possible

SafeTech understands the unique aspects of winter home security. If you need help securing your property, contact our dedicated team of loss prevention professionals today. We can install monitored security cameras at your home that will ensure that your vehicle and the rest of your property are watched over at all times. These home security tools prevent theft. We can also install physical security tools that make it significantly more difficult to enter your property, keeping you, your family and your belongings safe. Trust SafeTech for home security.

Important Holiday Security Tips when you’re Shopping

The importance of holiday security tips cannot be understated. The holiday season is here and, for most of us, that means shopping. However, for some people, it means greater opportunities to commit crimes. This means holiday security tips are important to be aware of and follow. During the holiday season there are more people out at shopping malls and public places and they are carrying more valuables in the form of purchases, money and many other items. This situation can often lead to increased crime.

When you’re out shopping this holiday season, it’s crucial that you take precautions to protect yourself. Here are a few important holiday security tips that will keep you safe.

Keep Valuables Out of Sight

Criminals steal what they can see. To protect yourself, make sure to follow these holiday security tips, which includes keeping your valuables out of sight whenever possible. This means locking your shopping bags in your trunk rather than leaving them on the seats of your car where they can obviously be seen. The same idea is true for valuables at home. Don’t place your new expensive gifts right in front of your windows. Keep them inside your home where they can’t be seen. Following important holiday security tips is crucial. You should always remember to keep your purse, bag or wallet close to your body. In front of you is better than beside or behind you. This will make you more difficult to steal from.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Be aware of what is happening around you. This is a crucial part of many important holiday security tips and vital to staying safe. If you are in a shopping mall or parking lot, take note of who is nearby. Avoid people who seem to be loitering around for no reason. If you feel as though you are being followed, head towards a group of people or into a store. Remember that talking on the phone or texting can distract you, so limit these activities whenever possible.

Protect Your Information

Whether you’re withdrawing money from an ATM, making a debit or credit card purchase in a store or shopping online, remember these important holiday security tips. It’s crucial that you protect your financial information. Cover your PIN when you enter it. Rest your fingers on additional numbers (not code related numbers) to help hide your real numbers. Remember that heat imaging smart phones can now capture numbers recently entered, your fingers leave a ‘heat trace’. Check to see if anyone might be looking over your shoulder, only visit well-lit ATMs and be sure to only enter payment details on secure and verified websites.

Shop with Friends

One of the most important holiday security tips to follow is that there is safety in numbers. Whenever possible, go holiday shopping with at least one friend and keep an eye out for one another. This is especially true if you are shopping at night. If you do end up shopping by yourself, you may want to ask mall security to walk you to your car if it’s dark outside or if there aren’t very many people around. Try to avoid high risk situations like walking alone that make you a target.

SafeTech Knows Important Holiday Security Tips

SafeTech understands what it takes to protect people and property. We’ve been doing it for almost 25 years. To find out more about safety and security and how you can protect yourself from criminals, take advantage of our free risk assessment. It can help you determine what security weakness exists in your home and what steps you can take to eliminate them. We can help you stay safe with important holiday security tips and more.

SafeTech Home Security Systems This Holiday Season

Home security systems are important all year round, but especially during the holiday season.

The holiday season is here. This is typically a busy time of year. However, this isn’t a time of year when you can overlook security. Crime tends to increase during the holiday season. You will need to be aware of this fact and properly utilize SafeTech home security systems and security tactics in order to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

Security systems aren’t generally the first things that come to mind when you think of the holidays, but they’re one of the most important things. Why? There are a number of reasons. One of the main ones is that there are often more break-ins during this time of year. Criminals know that there is a greater likelihood of finding new and valuable purchases in a home, so they are more determined to break in. SafeTech home security systems reduce the likelihood of a break-in taking place at your property. This is because criminals know of effective home security systems are. They know that they are much more likely to be caught in the act and punished for their crimes when they strike a home that has an alarm system and/or a security camera installed.

In addition to installing and using SafeTech home security systems, there are other ways to protect yourself from theft this holiday season. One of the best ways to reduce the likelihood of a break-in is to make your property look less inviting to criminals. Don’t place your new purchases and gifts near the windows where they can easily be seen from the street. This could cause a criminal to target your house. If you buy or receive expensive gifts that come in big boxes (such as televisions, computers, video game systems or other electronics) don’t leave the boxes outside of your house for garbage collection. Instead, break them down and return them to the store if possible. Leaving the boxes outside lets criminals know that you have new expensive items in your home.

Remember to Use SafeTech Home Security Systems when Travelling

Another reason that there are more break-ins during the holiday season is because criminals know that many people travel during this time. This gives criminals an opportunity to break into an empty home. If you are going to be travelling this holiday season, be sure that your home security systems are working correctly and that they are properly activated before you leave your home.

There are other ways to protect your home while you are away, in addition to home security systems. Make sure that you take steps to make your home look occupied: Put your lights on a timer, arrange to have your snow shovelled and put your mail on hold while you are away from home.

In conjunction with home security systems, taking these steps can reduce the likelihood of your home being robbed this holiday season.

Home Surveillance Cameras: Using Cameras to Catch Daylight “Distraction Thefts”

Footage released by police shows distraction theft in Vaughan. This footage shows the importance of surveillance cameras for homes.

York Region Police have released footage from surveillance cameras in hopes of catching the suspect in a “distraction theft” that took place recently. The robbery took place during the day and involved a woman approaching another woman and engaging in a conversation.

The video demonstrates the crucial importance of surveillance cameras for homes. In the footage, the suspect is then seen placing a necklace around the woman’s neck. The suspect apparently told the victim that the necklace was a gift, given as a thank you for helping her. While she placed the necklace on the victim, the suspect removed and stole the more expensive necklace that the woman was wearing. She then walked away and entered a white Jeep that just pulled up.

In addition to home surveillance cameras, other cameras caught similar crimes in the region. A nearly identical crime happened to a man outside a Vaughan grocery store several months ago. After viewing the recent footage from surveillance cameras, the man recognized the suspect as the same person who had robbed him. York Regional Police say there have been more than 35 reported distraction thefts so far. In each case, a suspect approached a victim and either asked for help, directions or started another conversation of some type. After speaking with the victim for a while, the suspect then either gave the victim a hug or offered them a cheap necklace as a gift. In the cases, the suspect used these distractions to remove the victim’s existing jewellery without being detected.

The Importance of Surveillance Cameras for Homes

These thefts highlight two important security truths. The first is the importance of being aware at all times. A number of different crime techniques involve distraction. For example, criminals are known to strike up a conversation with a person while one of their friends steals the victim’s purse or wallet. While it may be difficult, it’s always important to ensure that you are aware of your surroundings and the actions of those around you. If someone seems to be trying to distract you with a long conversation or another technique, be aware and pay close attention to your belongings and valuables.

Another fact is that, home surveillance camerasare important, They are a wonderful management tool and police aid. They are ultimately the best way to prove your loss and to catch the perpetrators of it. Footage from surveillance cameras can reveal the identity of a criminal, establish when and where the crime took place, how many participants are involved and record thieves in the act.

The video recently released by police was the type of footage that can only be recorded by home surveillance cameras. Not only does this footage help identify the suspect, but it also provides details as to how the crime was committed. These details are important for police investigations but they also warn the public about criminals still at large and their tactics. This is why surveillance cameras for homes are important.

For information on how surveillance cameras can help protect your home or business, please contact SafeTech Alarm Systems today. Our Loss Prevention Team can assist you with surveillance cameras and any other security needs you may have.