Stay Out of My House!
At Smarter Security, we are keen monitors of security statistics. We have alluded to the U.S. 2005 burglary statistics of 2005 but burglaries during 2006 go over the top! A staggering $4 billion worth of property was lost averaging $1,800 per house owner. Amazingly, 66% of all burglaries targeted residents and 63% of these took place in broad daylight. Some food for thought, but don’t be too surprised if we tell you that burglaries are also happening here in Melbourne. Like you, we are very much alarmed by all this and we want to assist you the best way we can, automatically or manually.
We have looked at some of the do-it-yourself safety practices that can be done and we have also looked at using a combination of automatic and manual security initiatives. We have looked at different lines of defences as if we are doing battle with an unseen foe and we have looked at lighting up and strengthening everything to foil entry. But is there an ultimately best way to prevent a burglar from entering your home?
There is a saying that you need a thief to catch a thief so why not become and think like one? A burglar is obviously determined to enter your house and he or she will eventually do so, unless you make it too darned difficult for them by staying one or two steps ahead. You need to think like a thief and pre-empt their every move:
- Personal reconnoitring – this is an extremely important maneuver that many house owners overlook. A thief will look for weaknesses; you discover them first and act with your own counter measures. Reconnoitre the interior and exterior of your house and look for likely places that may serve as entry points.
- Deadbolt lock – the kingpin for foiling entry when affixed to a very solid door. A a very strong frame with at least an inch of throw or entry into the door frame for a tight lockup. It should be a double cylinder lock with key passages from the inside and exterior side of the door. This is excellent for doors with glass panes within easy reach of the lock area. A thief will think that after breaking the glass, it will be only a matter of turning the door knob but alas, a flat metal plate with a keyhole minus the key meets the burglar’s outreaching hand.
- A very solid door – if you really don’t want your house broken into and pilfered, pay very serious attention to the kind of door you install. If you have extraordinary valuables to safeguard, go for a solid metal door. What can be more solid that metal? Thieves may learn of it but they can hardly do anything about it can they? It is like having a moat and drawbridge all rolled into one. The metal is your moat and the whole door is your drawbridge.
- Sliding doors – don’t simply place wood or broom ao other impediments to stop your sliding doors and windows from opening. Be serious! Your foe is very determined. Get keyed locks to make them extra difficult to open.
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Just ponder a little and visualize that you have followed each of these four indispensible steps. Would it not be awesome to have an automated surveillance and lighting systems put in place to complement them? It would add weight to your efforts in keeping burglars out would it not? If you think so, ring us now on 03 8513 0479 and we will help you make the best decision for your house.
Hidden Weaknesses are the Most Vulnerable!
You now know most of the weaknesses or blind spots around your house but even with this complementary knowledge, the problem does not end there. Did you know for instance that in the U.S. a burglar breaks into a home and burglarizes an average of $1,725 every time? It is a very serious concern. In 2005 alone, a total of over 2 million cases of burglary took place in that country. At Smarter Security, we study these trends, understand them and employ every trick in the book to combat them because the burglaries that happen elsewhere are also rife in Australia, albeit on a smaller scale.
The most disturbing aspect of these burglaries is that the homes involved were considered safe. They had sturdy locks, neighbours, moat, dogs, alarm systems, window bars and what not! Yet, the burglaries still took place. Why? We and other safety analysts believe that most of these homes have safety flaws. Furthermore, burglars are experts at identifying these flaws and using them to their advantage. Some of the flaws are readily apparent, while others are more hidden and as with all hidden things that stimulate curiosity, so too are burglars drawn to these hidden flaws. But take heart! All is not lost because they can easily be solved. We will discuss a few of these hidden weaknesses:
- In our haste to tell friends and family members of an impending and exciting vacation abroad in Venice, we overlook the safety connotations. This is now very easy to do. We have the computer and messages fly in an out at dazzling speeds on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google + and numerous other social media. We forget that we are not alone and the message we send out can become ammunition for burglars. Unless you have very proactive neighbours, it would be wise to keep your whereabouts intact and certainly well away from the internet.
- Admit that burglars know more about their trade than you know about thwarting them and get yourself thinking that probably, the safest place for a spare key is not under the doormat but safely in the possession of two or more neighbours. In this day and age, one can never be too careful.
- Insinuate yourself into the burglar’s psyche. Be aware that his/her priority is not being caught and therefore detection is anathema to their purpose. Darkness is still a favourite for cover so lighting up your house and adjoining grounds is the right panacea for this weakness. To burglars, lights mean that people are in the house and this means detection and the ability to call for help. The last thing a burglar wants. Very bright lights out the front and the back are your first line of defence.
- If a burglar gets past the lights without being seen, the next line of defence is the entry point. The doors must be absolutely solid, made of hardwood or iron to withstand brute force and still stand. The door plating must be heavy duty with four 3 inch screws solidly embedding it into the hardwood frame. You cannot afford to be stingy on the type of door you order. If you are abroad on vacation, and burglars succeed in passing the lights undetected, a sturdy door and heavy duty lock frame can still keep them out.
As experts on house safety, we can help you complement your personal efforts in securing the safety of your house with our automated surveillance system if you so desire. If you do, ring us now on 03 8513 0479 and we will assist you in making your house a burglar proof abode.
Habits to Avoid when Promoting House Safety.
As individual house owners we sometimes forget that having many people around us can act as a deterrent against having our houses broken into and robbed. One of the most effective means of protecting your house and possibly your own life, is that of befriending your neighbours.
Friendly neighbours can act as extra eyes, ears and voices for you and in times of danger, they can provide prompt assistance. However, there are other habits that can compromise this excellent safety precaution:
- One very disturbing habit is pasting revealing information to friends or family members on doors, that can be gleaned over by service people or anyone passing by. The pasted note not only reveals an unoccupied house but it also implies that the occupant may be gone for some time. This is an open invitation to thieves to break in and enter at their leisure. This habit must be avoided.
- There are always blind spots around most houses which are usually dark and spooky. These become the first targets for burglars who know the area is not frequented and provide a perfect hiding space for perpetrators. Lighting must be provided for these areas, especially those at the back with an adjoining wall separating your house from your neighbour’s.
- Admittedly, neighbours will holler the moment some unusual event takes place near your house, but they will scarcely take notice of a car or strange person who happens to arrive in the vicinity. You should approach your neighbours and ask them if any suspicious looking car parking in the vicinity of your house or a strange person lurking near your house.
- Trees do offer a cooling effect to your house but those close to windows can become a ladder to any burglar or they can obstruct your view from identifying one. You should re-consider the landscape around your house and remove those that can become a safety threat to your house or yourself.
- Sometimes, burglars gain entrance into houses by obtaining information from phone directories and checking out the names displayed on mailboxes. If you have to write down your name, use only your initials and your last name.
- Many sales people travel extensively and make their rounds knocking on doors in order to sell their products. You should not accept them in, simply because they are sales persons. You must confirm their identity by asking them to reveal their ID card or by checking with the visitor’s office.
- Sometimes more enterprising burglars can approach your home and ask to use your phone. Don’t fall for this trick despite your emotional inclinations. Your trust and kindness may endanger yourself and your valuables. Be steadfast and keep the door locked while you display your help within the safety of your home by ringing the desired number and passing the message to the visitor.
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Burglars operate under many disguises and strategies and you need to pre-empt any move that they are able to make. We can offer you our assistance in this field along with our ability in providing you with our latest automated surveillance systems. Call us now on 03 8513 0479 and we will pay you a visit and assist you in making your house totally burglar proof.
Protect Your House From Any Type of Burglar!
Some safety experts believe that the majority of burglars who do most of the break-ins are amateurs. Whether or not the claim is valid is of minor consequence. At Smarter Security, we are convinced that regardless of whether a burglar is a professional or an amateur, the security of your house must take precedence. This has led us to assist house owners who want a fool proof safety system in place. We believe this can be attained by employing a combination of automated and manual means.
We will assume that you already have an automated system in place. For a fool proof system, you will also require a complementary manual system which should include the following:
- You may have overlooked weaknesses in your security system after it was installed so check it over by becoming a ‘burglar’ yourself. Use your newly found status and systematically unravel the weaknesses in your security system.
- Never forget to lock your house door even if you leave your premises for only a short time. Open doors are always an invitation to perpetrators and many have easily found their way into homes as a result of this careless mistake.
- Whenever you move into a new house, remember that other people once occupied it and they may well possess the same keys they once used to open the doors of the house you now occupy. The keys can be used to gain entrance to your house so change all the locks and tumblers to the doors of your new house.
- Burglars usually conduct a inspection of a potential target and one thing they look for are loosely fitted wirings. Exposed wires are their prime target so they can disconnect automated systems installed in the house.
- Sometimes an alarm system is faulty and turns itself on at regular intervals. Most often, people who get used to hearing your alarm going off will stop paying heed to its emergency related purpose.
- The ingenuity of thieves knows no bounds and they have developed a technique in their arsenal of break-in tactics with a novel ‘loiding’ technique. This practice involves the insertion and pressing of a plastic credit card against a latch tongue to unlock a door. The panacea for this is the use of the deadbolt because it is burglar proof and very difficult to dislodge from its locking position.
- Sometimes burglars camouflage their identity and enter your home as cleaners, carpenters, electricians and whatever else, whose services you need. You must confirm that they are genuine, honest and diligent at their work before surrendering your keys to them. If they claim they come from a firm, check out their stories and the reputation of the firm that employs them.
- Another weakness in security measures is the careless placing of spare keys in odd places. Some put their spare keys in the mail box, somewhere in the garage or under the mattress. The safest method is by burying the spare keys in the ground all wrapped up in foil, where you can retrieve it whenever you need it.
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One can never be too careful about security matters especially when the safety of your house is at stake. Should you need extra assistance on fool proofing your home against break-ins, contact us now on 03 8513 0479 and we will advise you on how to fool proof your home in the most effective way possible.
An Effective Security Plan is a Must!
Have you ever noticed that for anything to be done right, perfect or safe, there is always a plan? When you want to build something a plan is essential; when you want to start a business, you need a plan. Everything done the right way must be done according to a plan. At Smarter Security we not only worry about effectively protecting your home with our latest CCTV system. We also concern ourselves with manual home security methods that augment our automated systema and we believe having a plan is at the forefront.
What is a security Plan?
It is a workable system for either preventing the occurrence of security breaches or minimizing the damage or loss to property and life that can occur as a result of a break in. Hence, a security plan can be used to prevent unwelcomed intrusion and also to prevent or reduce the risk of loss of property and life.
Components of the plan
- The first and most important is to identify weaknesses in your fortifications, that is, the potential entry and exit points. Tour the exterior parts of you grounds and identify any vulnerable spots such as possible hiding places, entry and exit points for burglars including dark, alley-like parts of your grounds. Ascertain your lighting needs for eliminating all dark areas outside your home.
- Next, foil a burglar’s intrusion prospects by installing bright lights to illuminate the whole area of your grounds leaving no blind spots.
- A combination of manually and automatically Lights activated by movements are the best choice for this exercise.
- A very sturdy lockout system such as dead bolt locks or heavy duty strike plates will deter entry by force.
- Using film glass on windows can be an asset in preventing the glass from easily breaking up into tiny pieces, allowing a thief to reach through and unlock the door. when a perpetrator uses a window to exit the house.
- To further curtail an escape attempt, placing stop rods in sliding door tracks to prevent an escape route via the sliding doors.
- To prevent any life threatening accidents in your house, pay attention to the status of all your appliances. Clean the furnace and dryer filters as required; annually flush out your chimney vent; discard any unrequired wiring extensions and monitor your electrical system for overloads. You must ensure the placement of operational fire extinguishers at strategic locations such as the kitchen, basement and garage. kitchen, laundry room, furnace room, garage and so on). Constantly check batteries for smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors.
Enlisting canine assistance
Nothing can compare with the sensitive surveillance capabilities of our canine friend – the dog. Its sense of smell and intuitions is unmatched by the most sensitive of appliances. They possess superior sight and hearing capabilities and are always the first to sound the alarm alerting family members to danger. It can attack unknown intruders by barking or biting, making time for calling police assistance. It is loyal and always vigilant.
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If you want help with the creation of a fool proof plan for the security of your home, contact us now on 03 8513 0479. We will send our expert staff to inspect house grounds and recommend a plan that can work in consort with our automatic systems if you wish.