Archive for the ‘Security Articles’ Category

When you live in a condominium, you may not pay the same attention to security as you would if you were living in a house. This is especially true if you are in a high-rise condominium. The fact that you may have a security desk or an entry phone system – combined with the fact that your unit may be located on a high floor – might be enough to make you feel as though you don’t need to be concerned with security at all. Unfortunately, that’s not true.

You can still be a victim of crime when you live in a condominium. The threats are different than in a standard house and so the precautions that you take will also need to be different. Here are a few tips for condominium security.

One of the best things you can do is to investigate the condo’s security features before you move in. You do not want to move into a condo – either new or resale – that has weak security. Some buildings feel that security is less important in a condo than in a house, but this is certainly not true. If you already live in a condominium, you may wish to speak with your building’s superintendent, property management office or security team. Knowing which security features your building has and finding out exactly how your condo keeps you safe is incredibly important.

The main entry point to a condominium is obviously the front door. However, your building could also have alternate entry points such as side and rear doors or garage doors. All of these doors should be secured, not just the front door. It should be impossible to get into your building without being noticed. If your building has a security guard or concierge at the front door, find out how he or she monitors the building’s other entrances as well. Many buildings have surveillance cameras that are monitored by building security. This is necessary to keep you safe in a condominium.

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When many people think about security, they often think about projecting their homes and businesses from crime. Keeping your home or office safe and keeping criminals away are certainly important and strategies for accomplishing these goals must certainly receive a great deal of attention. However, it’s also important to think about how you will protect yourself and your property when you are outside in a public place.

Recently three separate swarmings in Toronto led to police asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects. In the swarmings, victims reported that they were surrounded by a number of people who threatened and robbed them. In one swarming four men wearing disguises approached a 19-year-old male. Two of the criminals grabbed the victim’s arms while the other two stole his backpack, glasses and other items in his pockets. In another case, a 21-year-old man was reportedly approached by two men wearing disguises and a third holding a handgun. They threatened him and forced him to give them his cell phone and his cash. In a third reported swarming, a 22-year-old male was surrounded by three men. They shoved and kicked him before leaving the scene with his cell phone.

Several unrelated street robberies took place in Toronto recently. A 17-year-old male was arrested after he robbed several victims. The accused would approach victims with a weapon and demand that they hand over their valuables.

Cellular phones, personal music players, portable computers as well as purses, wallets and handbags are frequently targeted by theives. These items are small enough that they can be carried easily, but they also are usually high in value. It is important that you protect yourself from theives and criminals while you are outside in public.

A key to keeping yourself safe is to not look like a vulnerable target. Do not carry more with you than you need to. Large bags, backpacks and purses can make you a target as criminals assume that you are carrying a number of valuable items. If you carry a purse or bag, make sure that you keep it close to your body on a short strap. Avoid having your bag hang far away from your body where it will be visible.

In the same sense, do not flash valuables such as jewellery, cash or electronics around. These items are popular with thieves as they are small enough to carry easily. Keep your cellular phone or personal music player in your pocket and do not take it out unless it is necessary.

Avoid walking through isolated areas whenever possible. Criminals are much less likely to strike in a heavily populated area where they will be spotted and possibly caught. If you must walk through a more deserted area, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Do not wear headphones or other devices that will make it difficult for you to hear what is going on around you. Walk with a sense of purpose and keep your head up and shoulders back. Walk at a good pace – not too slowly but not too quickly either.  Your body language will convery a sense of confidence. Watch out for other people, especially groups of people and try to leave the deserted area as quickly as possible.

When you’re out of town for business or on vacation you may find yourself worrying about your home. You might be thinking about someone breaking into your house when you’re not around. You could be preoccupied with thoughts of a flood or fire happening without you knowing. Those are valid concerns and they should certainly be addressed by a strong home security and fire prevention system. However, you should also be thinking about your personal safety while you’re staying in your hotel.

Some people think that they will be safe in a hotel because the lock on their door and the fact that the hotel has a concierge at the front desk. While those factors certainly help protect you, you also have to be careful about feeling “invincible” when you’re in a hotel. It’s important to keep your own safety and security as well as the security of any items in your room in mind when you’re staying at a hotel.

Only take the electronic devices that you will actually need. These days it’s quite common to take a latop, tablet, smart phone, camera and many other electronic items when you travel. However, these items are expensive, lusted after by criminals and generally easy to steal. No one thinks twice if they see someone leaving a room with a laptop computer. When you travel, take only the items that you are actually going to use. You may not need to bring your computer or tablet with you at all. You can likely use your smart phone for email and accessing the Internet. If you don’t have a smart phone, many hotels have “business centres” where you can access the Internet. If not, there is probably an Internet cafe nearby somewhere. If you are traveling on business, for example, and you absolutely need to bring your laptop along, carry it with you or lock it up in your room somehow. Many hotels offer in-room safes.

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SafeTechAlarms.com has recently received an “Excellent Website” rating from the Canadian Web Awards. The Canadian Web Awards are an independent review website, established in 1998 that rank Canadian websites based on their content, accessibility, navigation, design, traffic and marketability. The ratings provided by the Canadian Web Awards assess how well Canadian websites relate to Canadians and places these websites in one of three categories; Good, Very Good and Excellent. SafeTech’s rating of “Excellent” recognizes it as one of the top websites in Canada.

“I am very excited about the distinction”, says Mike Boldis, SafeTech’s Head Web Developer. “This award is the result of a lot hard work; four months ago we completely redesigned our website, adding new innovative features, stronger content and easier navigation. Through these methods we have increased our traffic rank and improved our marketability throughout Canada. Having our efforts recognized on a national level is incredibly satisfying”.

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A False Fire Alarm will Cost you up to $1050

SafeTech Alarm System’s President, Sean O’Leary feels that bylaws that fine Toronto home owners for false fire alarms are excessive and restrictive. In the last six months over 800 Toronto residents have been fined $1050 by the Toronto Fire Department for false alarms caused by their home security system.

If a home equip with a monitored security system experiences a fire alarm, the alarm company’s central monitoring station is alerted and will attempt to contact the home to see if there is a fire. If the home owner can not be reached the central monitoring station will dispatch the fire department. In some cases the fire department arrives to find it was an equipment malfunction or a small incident that did not require the dispatch of fire engines. Due to the high cost of dispatching firefighters to a residence earlier this year the Toronto City Council passed a bylaw enforcing a $1050 fine for any resident who cause a false alarm.

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Holiday Rush increases Security Issues for Commercial Retailers

We are about to enter the busiest shopping period of the entire year. For the next month retail stores are going to see a tremendous influx in the amount of traffic they receive as customers commence their holiday shopping. While the increase in customers is fantastic it can be a little overwhelming to stores that are unprepared. An increase in traffic can be a drain on your staff and resources and could potentially leave you more vulnerable to shop lifting and inventory loss. Here are a few tips to protect your business from the unfortunate side effects of the holiday shopping rush.

The first thing you can do to protect your business and inventory is install a security camera. As discussed on this blog last week security cameras are a great deterrent to potential theft as the threat of being videotaped makes criminals think twice. Placing a camera in a high traffic area where it can be clearly seen alerts potential shoplifters that they are being recorded. Camera’s can also be placed in store rooms to ensure your employees are not engaging in shoplifting. This is an important step during the holiday rush as many stores take on additional staff that they are unfamiliar with. A security camera will keep everyone honest.

Another step you can take to protect your retail store safe during the holiday shopping rush is hiring a security guard. Security guards are the best deterrent toward shoplifting. To criminals a security guard represents a very real chance of being apprehended while engaging in criminal activity. A uniformed security guard strategically placed at the entrance to a commercial retail store can significantly cut down on the loss of inventory. In addition a retail store can opt to hire a plain clothed security guard to pose as a shopper and get a closer look at potential shoplifters. Plain clothed guards experience tremendous success rates when hired for the holiday season. The larger the retail space the more security guards you will need for the holiday rush. If you already employ a security guard it may be a good idea to hire a second for this incredibly busy month.

If you are interested in installing security cameras, surveillance equipment or security guards to protect your store this holiday season contact us today. We can also provide you with additional tips on keeping your inventory safe this month.

Audio version of this article: http://www.safetechalarms.com/podcast/commercial-security-tips-for-holiday-shopping-rush.mp3
Also you can download this audio file and you can listen on your personal MP3 player.

There is no more frightening security threat than home invasions. The idea of an intruder breaking into your home is unfortunately a very real security risk. The number of home invasions that are taking place in Canada are growing at a staggering rate. According to CBC there have been over 60 home invasions in Toronto in the past year. While most home invasions are motivated by theft and take place while the home owners are away a growing number are taking place while the occupants are home. In these circumstances the home invasions turn quite violent as the intruders often demand money or valuables from the home owners under the threat of physical violence including assault and even murder. What is shocking is that in most instances the homes invaded are targeted at random. Everyone is susceptible to this growing criminal phenomenon and the best way to protect you and your family is by installing a home alarm system.

It is a well documented fact that home alarm systems deter crime. Houses, apartments and condominiums that do not have proper security and alarm systems report a much higher rate of home invasions than those who have a professionally installed home alarm system. In many cases a sticker on a window or a sign on your front lawn indicating that you have an alarm system installed is enough to make a potential criminal think twice before approaching your home. If a criminal were to attempt a home invasion on a residence secured with a home alarm system, the alarm would go off as soon as they attempted to enter. Thanks to window and door sensors that are linked up to the central alarm system, as soon as your home is tampered with an alarm will sound alerting you and anyone else in the area to the potential security threat.

Once your alarm has sounded a second line of defence is implemented. Most home alarm systems are monitored by a central monitoring station that will contact your home as soon as the security system indicates there has been a breech. If the monitoring station can’t get a hold of you or they do and you tell them there is a problem they will contact the police right away. Criminals are aware of how fast a central monitoring station can get the police on the scene and in most cases once an alarm goes off the criminal will flee the scene and never return. If you are concerned about the safety of you and your family due to the growing rate of home invasions there is nothing better you could do than install a SafeTech home alarm system. For more information of home alarm systems please visit our website.

Audio version of this article: http://www.safetechalarms.com/podcast/home-alarms-protect-against-home-invasions.mp3

At the end of September Statistics Canada released a report indicating that the amount of crimes going unreported in Canada is increasing. The report indicated that in 2009 only 31% of Canadians who were victims of crime ended up reporting that crime to the police. That number is down from 34% in 2004 and 40% in 1999. According to the report fewer Canadians are going to the authorities because they feel the police cannot do anything about it. The majority of these unreported crimes dealt with either property damage or theft.

These statistics are interesting for a few reasons. First of all it seems to directly contradict the statements many Canadian politicians are making with regard to the dropping crime rate in Canada. There is an argument that could be made that the crime rate is staying the same or growing, it is merely the amount of crimes that are actually reported that is decreasing. The second interesting point that this Statistics Canada report brings out is the fact that many Canadians feel that if they report a crime to the police nothing will happen. This is an alarming statistic that says a lot about the confidence Canadians have in the police force.

It can be inferred from this report that the crime rate in Canada is actually increasing and that Canadians do not feel that the police can do anything about it. There has never been a better time to invest in a security surveillance system for your business or home. The vast majority of crimes that go unreported in Canada are property damage and theft. With a security surveillance system you can deter potential criminals from engaging in theft or property damage by threatening to catch them in action. Even if criminals persist despite the presence of cameras the video recording will give the police a great head start toward catching those responsible. There is no greater threat to a criminal then having their image directly tie them to a time and place where a crime occurred. There has never been a better time to equip yourself with the security equipment you need to keep your family or business safe. For more information on security surveillance equipment visit the SafeTech website.

Audio version of this article: http://www.safetechalarms.com/podcast/Unreported-Crime-Rate-Rising.mp3
Also you can download this audio file and you can listen on your personal MP3 player.

Halloween is near and it’s once again time for trick or treaters!  SafeTech Alarm Systems would like to remind our readers of a few Halloween safety tips that will keep the day fun!