The Eastern Courier recently ran a security-oriented news piece that caught my eye. Entitled “Eastern thieves turn to disguises” it warns of burglars disguising themselves as tradesmen in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.

BURGLARS are disguising themselves as tradesmen as house breakins spike across inner-eastern suburbs.

Thefts have doubled since the start of the year in Dulwich, Glenside, Frewville, Rose Park, Toorak Gardens and Glenunga, according to Eastern Adelaide Police.

(T)here have been several reports of thieves disguising themselves as tradesmen in brightly coloured vests and overalls to avoid suspicion.

The breakins have been occurring at all hours, with common items stolen include TVs, jewellery, handbags, credit cards and mobile phones.

This time last year I commented on crimes of opportunity during a recession and I see echoes of that in this report. I think the lesson to be learned is that security is about awareness; these burglars are acting like they belong where they are, and so they’re being treated like they belong where they are. Just because someone is wearing a high-vis vest that doesn’t mean he’s a tradie!

Stay safe,

Mark

Most people think of a security system as a black-or-white sort of thing – the house is either alarmed, or it’s not. Well that isn’t the case! Many modern security systems give the option of partial activation: the sensors can be enabled for some parts of the premises but not others. That means you can move about the house freely, but have windows and exterior doors still alarmed.

If you’re wondering why you’d do such a thing, consider this: one quarter of Australian households have been broken into while the occupants were at home. Put it this way… if you were at home alone and someone was climbing in through the kitchen window, would you be able to hear it from the bedroom?

Many people leave their alarms disabled at night because they don’t want the alarm triggered by family pets, or by members of the household walking around. A partial alarm is the perfect solution: the perimeter of the house is monitored but someone getting up to go to the toilet won’t trigger a false alarm. And you can sleep soundly knowing that a monitored security system will alert the security centre and police the moment a burglar tries to enter the house.

Denise

Following on from my last little hint about keeping your keys out of sight, here’s another bit of advice:

Keep your spare keys safe and separate from your other keys. Put them in a different place entirely.

It’s not uncommon for burglars to swipe the spare keys during a smash-and-grab break-in in order to return later and get the car. You can bet the car is worth more than whatever was lying around on the kitchen counter!

Stay safe,

Denise

Here’s another little thing you can do to keep your house that little bit safer: make sure that your keys aren’t visible from anywhere outside the house.

I’m sure that many of you come home and dump your keys on the kitchen bench or on the breakfast bar. Now, if someone was standing outside the house looking in, could he see those keys? Because those keys represent unrestricted access to the whole house. Maybe to the garage and the car too. And even if the burglar got in to your house through a smashed kitchen window, those keys mean he could walk out the front door, cool as a cucumber.

Do yourself a favour – keep your keys out of sight!

Stay safe,

Denise

The incidence of service station armed robbery has steadily increased over the past decade (…)  about one in ten armed robberies in Australia were of service stations, and that these were more likely to be targeted at night by lone offenders using knives (…) This opportunistic targeting of service stations has been attributed to their extended opening hours, their sale of cigarettes and other exchangeable goods, their high volume of cash transactions and their isolation from other businesses.

Earlier this year I commented on a statement from the SA Police warning about a possible increase in crime due to the financial pressures of the current recession (“Police warn of crime rise as recession bites“). I see an echo of that warning in a document recently published by the Australian Government’s Institute of Criminology, one which contains sobering statistics on the rate at which armed robberies of service stations are increasing nationwide. According to the report the incidence of armed robbery of service stations increased by 214 percent between 1993 and 2000, (AIC 2002). This trend has continued, with a 31 percent increase in the number of incidents in the three years from 2004–06. In 2006, service station armed robberies constituted 10 percent of all armed robberies in Australia.

One thing the Institute points to as significantly improving security is a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, noting that “CCTV provides police with the opportunity to view offences and identify offenders. Evidence from CCTV can be used in court and can therefore have a deterrent effect”. At Chief Security we’re seeing a lot of interest in CCTV systems from current clients looking to augment their security systems, and with new customers CCTV seems to be one of the first things that come up in discussion — it seems almost to be the new “standard” security system.

The reasons for CCTV’s growing popularity are many. First, as the technology improves, equipment prices drop, so the systems become more affordable. Secondly, CCTVs capabilities are improving all the time — we’re definitely seeing a move towards IP (Internet Protocol)-based CCTV systems which allow  remote viewing from any Internet-connected computer. For safety reasons its certainly reassuring to be able to check a premises remotely before turning up on-site in the event of an alarm.

If you or your business could use the added security and reassurance offered by CCTV, give us a call on 8443 9877 or drop us a line at info@chiefsecurity.com.au. We’d be more than happy to discuss your requirements and design a solution. After all, your peace of mind is our business!

Stay safe,

Mark

Here in Australia this year the Rudd Government’s cash stimulus package has put some welcome spending money into many pockets. And at this time of year many people — well, at least those that are diligent with their tax returns! — are receiving tax refunds as well.

The cash in the stimulus-package payouts is intended to flow back into the economy. In other words, the government wants you to spend it! I’m sure that retailers like Harvey Norman and Myer are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of moving large numbers of widescreen TVs, iPods, and Nintendo Wiis.

Here’s something that many people don’t consider: that big new TV comes in a big-new-TV box. And what do you do with that box? Why, you stick it out the front of the house to be picked up on rubbish day.

That big-new-TV box at the side of the road is a big sign saying “house worth burgling here”. Do yourself and your home a favour and dispose of new appliance boxes carefully. Chop them up into smaller pieces so they will fit in the wheelie bin. I know some people who take their new appliance boxes to work and place them in the recycling bin at the office! Dispose of your appliance boxes carefully and you’ll make yourself less of an attractive target for burglary.

Denise

Did you know… If you have ADSL (the most common sort of home broadband Internet connection) and your security system attached to the same phone line you require a Central ADSL Filter to be installed at the Security Mode 3 Phone Socket.

This will give you a dedicated ADSL point for you to plug your ADSL modem into. In almost every case, the installation of a Central ADSL Filter will improve overall connection stability and bandwidth. That means fewer disconnections and faster downloads.

If you’re calling about a back-to-base monitored alarm system, don’t forget to tell us if you have ADSL or not. The work we do while installing your monitoring will also improve the stability, latency, and sync rate of your ADSL connection!

Mark

If, like many of our customers, you’re planning a holiday while the sun is still shining and before winter arrives, there are some small things you can do to give you maximum peace of mind while you’re away.

The most important thing is to make sure your after-hours contact details are up-to-date with your monitoring company. If you’re going to be out of town or uncontactable, call us before you leave and nominate an alternate contact to receive calls if your alarm is triggered (and of course let that person know you have nominated him or her as our contact while you’re away!)

Burglars often scan streets for houses that are conspicuously dark in the evenings – no interior lights at dinner time means nobody’s home, and no interior lights at dinner time for a week means nobody’s coming home for a while. One thing you can do to give yourself peace of mind is to place some of your interior lights on timers so that they come on automatically while you’re away. Such timers are inexpensive and can be found at any good hardware store. If possible, get some adjustable timers so that the lights can be preset to come on at slightly different times each night, avoiding the appearance of being automated.

If you’re away for an extended time, make sure your paper mail is redirected, held at the Post Office, or can be cleared by a friend or neighbour. Nothing says “nobody’s home” like a mailbox overflowing with unread mail. If you have a friend or neighbour able to check for you, get them to keep your driveway or front area clear of local newspapers – they too make absence look obvious when they pile up – and if you go away on the day your rubbish and recycling are collected, try and arrange to have someone move your empty bins from the kerb. Empty rubbish bins sitting outside for a week are yet another dead giveaway that the house is unattended.

These things may seem small, but they’re important. And nothing’s more important than the security of your home and family. If you’re not yet protect by a monitored alarm system… why not?

Denise

An article in Adelaide’s Advertiser newspaper caught my eye recently. It was entitled Police: Beware of crime rise as recession bites. The article contained some disturbing information:

SA Police and criminologists are on alert for a possible rise in street and white-collar crime, triggered by the global economic meltdown.

Commissioner Mal Hyde says economic uncertainty makes this “a risky time” for an upsurge in crime.

“People will be in what they might feel are desperate circumstances because of their financial position.

“In those circumstances, they might look to ways to get themselves out of it.

“In tight and desperate economic circumstances, they may be inclined to make decisions they otherwise wouldn’t. So, it is a bit of a risky time.”

The causes of the global economic meltdown are outside our control. However, we can control some of the ways in which we’re exposed to its effects – effects like increasing numbers of burglaries and thefts.

Back-to-base monitored alarms offer you and your family peace of mind at a time when crime is on the increase, and at Chief Security we can offer domestic monitoring for as little as $5.00 per week. That’s less than a dollar per day for the knowledge that your home and your family are protected.

Give us a call today on (08) 8443 9877 or send us an email at info@chiefsecurity.com.au and talk to us about your home security requirements. We’re here to help!

Mark

At Chief Security we offer the peace of mind of a monitored alarm system for your home for less than a dollar a day. But did you know that many insurance companies offer generous discounts on Home Insurance premiums to households that have back-to-base monitored alarms in recognition of their reduced risk?

Give us a call on (08) 8443 9877 or send us an email at info@chiefsecurity.com.au so we can make sure you have all the information you need before calling your insurer.

Mark