School is almost out and it's vacation season

So now is the time to recheck your home security measures and become more diligent about your security.

The vast majority of kids are good kids not causing trouble, but a few will take advantage of opportunities to break into homes, garages, yards, even businesses. These are not acts of career criminals just bored youth.

So remember Summit Security's three rules to secure your property:

Make the target unappealing - Property should look lived in, well kept. Lighting at night. Reduce hiding areas.

Harden the target - Double dead bolts with 1" throw. Quality locks on out buildings.

Employ defensive counter measures - Let us provide an estimate for home security.

Emergency call systems for seniors

"Help, I've signed a contract and I can't get out of it"

Well, that's not what the senior citizen on the commercial says, but maybe she should. Many people who sign up for these systems, who's advertising plucks at the guilt strings of children with aging parents, find that they are signing long term contracts which are very difficult to get out of, and have exhorbatantly high monitoring costs, much higher in fact than a tradtional home security systems which will protect seniors against home burglary.

Here is just one link to a list of many complaining about these companies:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/age/lifealert_sales.html

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/age/lifealert.html

A typical home security system can be equipped with a wireless necklace pendant or a wrist worn panic button, and listen in capability, all under the same monitoring fee (typically under $30) which is paid for the entire system to be monitored. A home security system can also provide a monitored smoke detector to summon the fire department.

Do you love your dog?

Of course you do. Even if your dog was originally acquired as home protection we can't help but fall in love with them. So why do I bring this up? Every security professional has heard this statement many times; "Oh I don't need an alarm system, we have a dog." Well if you love your dog you do not want to consider him to be part of your home security solution.

While it's true that most home burglaries are committed by opportunistic criminals who may very well be deterred by a barking dog, some percentage of burglars are career criminals who will not be the least bit worried about a dog. That's because they know they can beat it, scare it, poison it, drug it, or in the worst case kill it. Most dogs that are defending property will do so right up until they receive a swift kick near a vital organ from a size twelve boot. Would you wish any of these things on your pet? Even if not physically injured, it may be traumatized for life.

I actually had a friend years ago who lived in an affluent southern California neighborhood. Their house was broken into by burglars looking for a safe. They went right to the corner of the master bedroom, lifted up the carpet, and found no safe. They had the wrong house. But my friends wonderful, loving Irish Setter that would never have hurt anyone was found cowering in the corner of the back yard. We would never know what they did. But the dog would never go near a teenage boy again.

Dogs are family members. You would never ask your child to stay home and defend your home against burglars, why ask that of your dog?

Harden the Target

We had dinner with good friends this weekend who have a security system installed by one of the huge companies--one with long lists of complaints about them on the internet for failure to perform. We were discussing our friend’s security measures and practices and I commented that the front door needed a dead bolt. It's a weak double door and well concealed by the architecture and landscaping. I was shocked by their answer that they would rather not have a stronger lock, and in fact, they leave the security bars out of their sliding doors when they travel. The reason: so the burglar can open the door and set off the alarm. Sigh....

Ignoring for the moment the high probability that the police would arrive long after the burglar had taken three minutes to ransack the bedroom, this still is a VERY bad philosophy to adopt.Your job as a home owner and alarm system user is NOT to apprehend. Your job is to protect your family and property.

The very first thing we teach in home security is to HARDEN THE TARGET. The first line of defense in protecting your home or business is to make it an unfriendly target and a hardened target. Deadbolts and quality locks are the first priority. Drop-in bars and anti-lift blocks in sliding doors and windows are next. FBI statistics indicate the majority of home break-ins occur most commonly through the main first floor entrances. Front, rear, and garage doors being first, with a first floor window being a second but rare entry point. Of course, keeping vegetation pruned back to expose entries and having automatic outdoor lighting are also important.

Most homes that are difficult to break into and unfriendly to burglars are never burglarized. Most burglars are young men looking for an easy entry to grab a few high value items that can be quickly converted to cash to buy their next drug fix. They will almost always pass by the hardened target and move on to an easier one. So, install those one-inch-throw dead bolts, always secure every opening, and give the burglar a reason to pass you by and pick an easier target.

Remember it's not about the loss of property. It's about that feeling of violation; that a stranger has been in your home. Many people never get over this feeling and actually move after a burglary. So keep the bad guys out and keep your peace of mind.

Did you feel pressured to sign a contract?

Did you know that under federal law there is a basic three day right to cancel any contract that was solicited in your home?

The company selling you any home improvement must give you written notice of the option to cancel up until midnight of the third day after you signed the contract. This is to prevent unscrupulous companies from rushing in and doing work before you have a chance to consider and change your mind. This law grew out of the aluminum siding sales of the 1950s/60s.

Many states expand on the basic rights set forth under federal statute and have very specific rules for how this option must be presented to you. Some states allow you to waive this right.

Be aware of what your rights are and be sure the comapny you choose is acting within the law.

You don't want a company that disregards the law, protecting your home, family, or business, because the point is to keep the dishonest people out!

Video surveillance more inportant than ever

I just read an article about a research firm projecting a downturn in video surveillance sales. In an economic downturn, recession, depression, it is more important than ever to have video surveillance. Shrinkage always increases in tough economic times as does exposure to loss through false insurance claims. Dishonest people see a slip and fall in a store with deep pockets as easy money, and employees who might normally be honest may be less so with an unemployed spouse and children to feed. Slipping some inventory out the loading dock door gets tempting, as do worker comp claims.

So now is the time to reevaluate your surveillance and security needs and consider risks that may have been limited before, as having new life in a tougher economic climate.

Due diligence

Before allowing any security sales person into your home, do your due diligence!
Confirm that the company and any employee, including a sales representative who will be entering your home or business, is fully licensed by the governing agency in your state.

This link to a website provided by one of the preeminent attorneys in the security industry has information an alarm company licensing requirements for most states.

http://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/alarmlicreqstate.htm