Posts Tagged ‘home security system’

Yesterday’s rioting, looting and violence in downtown Vancouver was an example of why business owners need to protect themselves and their businesses at all times. While the acts yesterday were shocking due to their large scale, crime and violence are unfortunately part of our society on a daily basis.

If you have a business you not only need to protect your facility with window bars, gates and commercial alarm systems, but you also need to ensure that you are prepared to record any acts of violence that unfortunately do occur.

Theft, violence and riots do not just take place in Vancouver after hockey games. As we saw during the 2010 G20 in Toronto, violence can quickly sweep a city during any large gathering.

Video surveillance cameras and security cameras catch criminals in the act. Not only will they record every action that takes place, but they can also be used by police to identify and prosecute criminals who damage, vandalize or steal from your business.

Installing a video surveillance system and equipping your business with security cameras is a powerful way to protect your business and identify those who have done your company harm.

As witnessed yesterday during the Vancouver riot, violence and vandalism can start almost anywhere and escalate very quickly. These criminal acts can erupt without warning and there is no way to predict or determine when and where they will occur. This is why you need to be vigilant in protecting your property.

The only way to identify criminals without fail is to capture them on video. Video surveillance footage can be used to show the police, your insurance company and any other authorities who broke your windows, who damaged your store and who robbed you of your property. This footage can also be used to document losses and verify what was taken from your business.

Security camera footage is a powerful tool in court as well. The evidence recorded by the video surveillance system can not only identify criminals, but it can be used to match an individual or a group to a specific crime that took place at a specific date and time. There is no more powerful tool in the apprehension and prosecution of criminals.

SafeTech Alarm Systems is experienced in surveillance camera solutions. We can accurately analyze your particular property and determine the right security camera setup that will work best for your business. Whether you’re looking for IR cameras, dome cameras, box cameras, PTZ cameras, covert cameras or any other video surveillance camera systems, SafeTech Alarm Systems has the experience and skills necessary to configure and install the right security system for you.

For more information on security cameras and how they can be used to protect your business from chaos like the Vancouver riots, please visit our security cameras section.

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!

Trois-Rivières, Quebec has the highest break and enter rate among Canadian census metropolitan areas. (Source: Statistics Canada)

These days people are sharing more and more of their personal information online. Thanks to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and a variety of other social media websites, it is now easier than ever to invite friends to social events, post photos, share vacation plans and keep your social circle informed than ever before.

However, with this freedom comes new security risks as well. When sharing information online it’s important to remember that anything you share online could be easily distributed to the general public.

The first thing you should always do before sharing personal information online is consider who could possibly see your posting. Social media messages are easily shared and forwarded to others, so do not post anything that you do not want others to see.

It is also incredibly important to keep a diligent eye on your privacy settings. You will want to make sure that the general settings as well as the settings for particular posts or events are set to your specifications. Failure to do so can have very serious consequences.

For example, a teenage girl in the United Kingdom recently created a Facebook invitation for her birthday party. She meant to invite 15 friends, but accidentally marked the event as “public” rather than private. This meant that anyone could see the invite. More than 21,000 people replied and anyone who visited the public invitation was able to see the girl’s picture, address and phone number.

Obviously this was a huge security risk to the girl and her family. Always be aware of who can see the information that you post online.

The same is true for posting about your location. A post on Facebook or Twitter that you are going to be on vacation for a month could be seen by someone who wants to break into your home.

Police in British Columbia and Ontario recently warned people to avoid mentioning vacation plans on Twitter and other social media website for this exact reason

Podcast link: http://www.safetechalarms.com/podcast/Staying-Secure-Online.mp3