Does CCTV help a business?

CCTV can be both a deterrent and very useful tool in arresting criminals.  Two small retailers who took different approaches in the CCTV system installed.

A £300 Mac book was stolen last week from a laptop repair shop in Hazel Grove, Stockport.  Fortunately we had installed quality CCTV both inside and outside the premises a few years ago so the images are fantastic and clearly identify all three criminals.  The CCTV footage has been sent to the police and an arrest is expected soon.

Another local retail shop had a burglary a few weeks ago and caught the intruder on their CCTV.  Unfortunately, the installation was not done by us, the shop was poorly advised and chose budget cameras, the resultant images are of insufficient quality to be used to identify the burglar.

If you use CCTV, please speak to someone who can convert your needs into a useful installation.

Make a policeman's day - catch an intruder red handed

Police need help Like many of the public services, the police are expected to do more with less. The situation is exacerbated by trivial phone calls for help when people should take responsibility for their own actions and not seek police assistance. In the case of home security, a problem arises.  For example, a homeowner installs an alarm that calls either himself or a monitoring company following activation. What to do next? It may be a false alarm, but it may also be a burglar. Unless the police are convinced that there is an intruder, they will not attend. The alternative is for you to face who knows what at 2 in the morning or employ a security guard. How much better to have a call and short video on your smartphone showing exactly what set off the alarm. If it really is a burglar, then you can call the police with confidence and confirm by video of an intruder. The police are far more likely to respond in these circumstances, a prosecution is more likely and you may not lose possessions. Even insurance companies make approve! To see how it all works we have put together a short video

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10 Items I Would Hate to Lose in a Burglary

Submitted by homealarmmonitoring.org/blog from one of their readers

Having been subjected to a burglary once, this should be to some degree an easy subject to write about.  First of all the idea that a stranger had been in my home and ransacked my house was disgusting and frankly sickening.  I did not want to sleep on the disheveled bed, I didn’t want to touch the bureau drawer’s contents that were strewn all over the room, or the closet items scattered through-out the house.  The general mess they left did make me wonder what kind of people they were that would try to destroy our home, yet not hurt our little dog!

My first thought was “Oh my goodness, my groceries are gone!”  I had gone to the grocery store that day for a couple weeks supply of groceries, and for a young growing family, it wasn’t a small amount of cash then and it sure wouldn’t be now.  I hasten to add, none of my groceries were gone, but a few other possessions were.

Now for items I’d hate to lose in a burglary?

1. Electronics
2. Jewelry
3. Cash
4. Tools
5. Collector items
6. Paintings
7. Automobile
8. Fuel from my car
9. Lawn equipment
10. Silverware

To put these in any kind of order would be left up to each individual.  Personally I would hate to start replacing any on the list.

Burglary sparks home insurance warning

 by Maxwell Kusi Obodum of the Reading Chronicle

POLICE chiefs have warned residents that insurance companies could refuse to pay up if homeowners have failed to take sufficient safety precautions before being burgled.

It follows a burglary Caversham two weeks ago where the insurance company rejected the victim’s claim because they failed to double lock the front door.

Is site security draining your profits?

A big cost associated with site security is the guard.

The problem with guards is that they are often creatures of habit and thieves plan accordingly.

An inexpensive system is available that informs static or mobile guards of suspicious activity, allowing them to be far more efficient.

For more information contact David Cole on 08456387585

Attack on a building site container

Garden centre needs to stop vandals

Following numerous acts of mindless vandalism, a garden centre has fitted my video verification equipment to ensure that both police and guarding company are aware of who is commiting the damage.
A 10 second video of the intruder ensures that resources are not wasted and sufficient information may be provided to assist in recognition of the offender.

It also means that false alarms like the one in the video below are avoided.

Such a simple and easy to fit system because it is wireless and all the equipment runs of batteries.

You could be protected - just give a call

Alarm Verification Without Wires

For police to respond to an alarm, they need to be sure that there is a crime in progress. An effective way to do this is with pictures of what happened when the alarm was activated. With verification, Police will treat these alarms as “Crimes in Progress” and respond faster than for a "bell on the wall" alarm. Video verification makes efficient use of both security guards and police officers and provides greater security to the property owner. However, this can be a bit tricky when mains power is unavailable.
A system providing TOTALLY wireless, BATTERY powered video security, that can be placed anywhere and sends a 10 sec video of what caused the alarm to an alarm receiving centre, security company or phone is available here
An absolute must for empty properties, buildings without power, construction sites, church roofs etc. Thieves have now lost the luxury of time and anonymity