Posts Tagged ‘Security Tips’

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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Garland County Ark. Sheriff’s deputies have arrested someone for the reported hit and run at a crab shack Sunday.

Investigators say Chase McGowan, 28, is charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident after an injury.

He allegedly ran over 49-year-old Ray Duatartas, a security guard at Smyly’s Crab Shack, before 4:00 a.m. August 14. Smyly’s is in the 4900 block of Central Avenue.

Witnesses told police police Dautartas was trying to break up a fight between McGowen and other patrons when McGowen started backing up with his car door open and hit Dautartas, knocking him unconscious. As people began to help Dautartas they say McGowen started driving forward, ignoring pleas to stop running over Dautartas, killing him.

McGowan is being in the Garland County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.

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.

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

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!

Whether you’re renovating your home or making some repairs around the house, there will inevitably be a time where you can’t handle a project and you have to look to outside help. Working with a contractor can get the work done much faster, but it’s also important to keep safety in mind.

Remember that, in the majority of cases, you will be trusting a contractor with access to your home. You wouldn’t let just anybody into your home, would you? This is why it’s very important to exercise caution when working with contractors.

Before you hire someone, make sure to check their references. Many people ask for work samples, quotes and reviews of a contractor’s work, but it’s also very important to check more personal references as well. Someone that is skilled in building kitchens or offers a low rate to repair your plumbing may not be a trustworthy individual.

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Research conducted in Gainesville, Florida shows that most residential burglars gain entrance to homes by the front door. This contrasts with the popular image of criminals lurking in the shadows and sneaking through a side window under the cover of night.

31.97 percent of residential burglars entered homes via a single swing door. Many people consider their doors to be the most secure part of their homes, but this study shows that to be false. If a criminal wants to enter your home, chances are that he or she will do so in the same way you do: through the front door.

When securing your front door a good place to start is my installing a high quality dead bolt. Dead bolt locks are much harder to break or pick than other types of door locks.