15

May
2013

How to Secure Your Home or Business

May 15th, 2013 | by admin admin | in Security Advice |    0   

A suspicious character was nosing around your back porch, or your parking lot. Tools are missing from your garage—or your construction site. You feel you need to do more to protect your home or business. Perhaps it’s time to install a security system, or upgrade your existing one.

Before you pick up an alarm system from your closest big box retailer, pause to consider what you really need. How can you best secure your property? Here are some strategies:

1. CPTED—Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Take a good look at your property. Are all access points well lit? Are there good sight lines from the street? Pruning the shrubs around your doors and windows makes it harder for a burglar to break in without being seen.

2. Business and Neighbourhood Watch. Join community groups, and keep an eye on your neighbours’ property. By reporting any suspicious activity, you can reduce crime in your neighbourhood.

3. Target Hardening. Solid core doors. Non-removable hinges. Security bars. Floor-mounted door stops. Dead-bolt locks. Acrylic sheeting or glass-break film.

4. Intrusion Detection. Motion detectors, glass-break sensors, door- and window- contacts, and similar sensors alert you when someone enters a restricted area.

5. Access Control System. From simple pin pads to biometric scanners, these security systems allow you to control who may enter a restricted area.

6. Monitored Alarm System. There are many layers of security available in alarm systems. A basic audible alarm may scare off an intruder by attracting attention. Most burglars, however, know most of us ignore alarms, and they will snatch whatever they can before running. Security systems are most effective when they are monitored. Radius Security operates a central monitoring station to respond immediately to alarms 24/7.

7. Video Surveillance. Technology in this area is advancing rapidly. Relatively inexpensive security cameras can generate video clips and relay them to a monitoring station or your smartphone. You can also monitor your property using traditional CCTVs. A more sophisticated video surveillance system allows central station operators to track intruders and question them in real time. Whether you wish to apprehend a suspect in the act, or provide police with video evidence after the fact, video security cameras are an excellent option.

8. Video Alarm Verification. Police dispatchers assign verified alarms top priority as crimes in progress. Response times drop from a typical 20 minutes, to less than five. You can verify an intrusion on your smartphone and select “ignore” or “dispatch.”

These are just a few of the tools available to secure your home or business. To find the best fit, consider:

• The nature of the space. An open area, such as a parking lot or marina, demands different protection than a restricted-access storage room or laboratory. An unoccupied construction site, again, raises different issues than a crowded airport. Your second-floor bedroom and your garage also have different security requirements.
• Response required. Are you comfortable verifying an alarm in person? Are you always available on site? Do you want police officers to catch a suspect in the act? Do you want video evidence to assist in an investigation?
• Budget. What is the value of the goods you’re protecting? Is there an issue of life safety?
• Other Benefits. Do you want to monitor your employees’ productivity and policy compliance? Do you want to keep an eye on your home, children, parents, pets, etc. while you’re on the road?

If you would like a Radius Security professional to review your security needs and explain your options, contact us today.

Note: This blog discusses general safety and security topics. It is not intended to provide comprehensive advice or guidance. In all matters of personal safety and security, we encourage readers to research topics in depth and consult a security professional about specific concerns.