The Rogue Relative: Aka Black Sheep of the family
Security Devices to the rescue
Every one has that one shady relative, right? The one that you don’t want to discuss in polite company, but they’re still family and they will be coming to the family gathering. This is the person that likes to snoop around when you’re not looking and borrow things (wink): without your permission. I’ve overheard the conversations before, “I had a set of earrings just like that, but I haven’t been able to find them since last Thanksgiving weekend.” Then they ask, “Where did you get yours.” They respond, “I just picked these up somewhere.” Yeah that’s right, they picked them up somewhere: right out of your jewelry box and straight into their pocket. You’ve got too much class to a call them a lair and thief without proof. You have your suspicions and now you need proof. So what do you do? Elementary, My dear Watson, elementary. You follow these tips to assure you catch them in the act, and use the footage for the newest episodes of crimes caught on tape.
First you need to proper equipment to bait the trap. Go to the local hunting store or Walmart and purchase one those deer cameras. Position it behind some decorative pillows with only the lense showing. I realize that lighting may be a factor, but since the criminal (I mean your relative) doesn’t expect to get caught they will most likely turn on the light and when they walk by the camera the trip the motion sensor and they are caught on candid camera. The resolution on these cameras is low and won’t be admissible in court, but you have enough to confront them and get your stuff back. Hopefully they will be apologetic and never do it again. The next solution is more security sensitive and works with the hunting theme.
Almost all hunters have a gun cabinet or gun safe, but I have gone to many homes and they keep the gun in the bedroom closet where they can get to it in the middle of the night if something happens. The problem is they never think that a curious child may wander into that area and get his hands on the “Peace keeper.” My suggestion is to have an alarm attached to the door of the closet that is set for instant alert. If you have this as a part of your monitored alarm system combined with two-way voice you will not have to worry about a false alarm. When the alarm is triggered the alarm monitoring company will come across the speaker microphone built into the system. If it is a false alarm then you give them your password and they will not dispatch the authorities. So let’s get back to catching the rouge relative.
Installed covert cameras that are tied into a DVR and networked into your internet connection is the way to go. These cameras can be placed inside a clock a light, security motion detector and even inside a stuffed animal. You can monitor the activity through any computer with a high speed internet connection. The applications are endless. If you have an elderly person come stay with you that requires outside care, you can be sure that the care giver is treating them well. You can make sure that your teenage kids don’t have people at the house when they were told not to have guests over. You can make sure that they are not slipping out because you can install exterior cameras with night vision capability. When it comes to matters of safety there is no invasion of privacy so long as these devices are installed in the common areas of the home.
Don’t Let Criminals Make You the Thanksgiving Turkey!
(protecting your home while on vacation)
You want to make it grandma’s house on time and the last thing on your mind is being the victim of crime. Often, people spend more time planning the Thanksgiving day menu than they do in planning measures to keep their families and possessions safe. Criminals know that where there are distractions because of upcoming attractions that opportunity to score becomes much more prevalent. Taking a few simple steps in advance of your departure could be the difference between coming home to find everything safe and sound or finding an unwanted and unexpected surprise of being burglarized. First, we must deal with truth verses delusion. The delusion that crime only happens in certain types of neighborhoods is the type of folklore that leads to good people experiencing bad situations that rob them of their dignity and their possessions. The truth is with an unstable economy crime will rise. Some people feeling the strain of diminished finances will resort to criminal activity. Drug use also rises during times of recession. The key question to be asked is how the individuals who are cash poor and drug dependent can afford to feed their addiction? The answer is a simple one, they look to take from others. The next question raised is will it be you? If you apply these common sense strategies the likely hood of you becoming a victim will be tremendously reduced.
The first priority in home security is eliminating access by making it difficult for potential criminals. Prior to leaving, perform a security sweep of your property. Think like a criminal. If you were them, how would you get into the home? Look for tools that may be lying around. Make sure that all windows are locked and the screens in place. Put up any lawn furniture and remove the propane tank from your gas grill because criminals could use it to break out a window or glass pane in a door. Make sure that all bulbs in motion lights are working properly. Make sure that your crawl space door is locked. If it has exterior hinges replace the screws with headless screws. If you have an exterior storage room where the hinges are located outside, replace with permanent hinges or reinstall the door so the hinges swing inward. Prior to leaving do not discuss your plans in public. Criminals are everywhere. Stop your mail; but this is not enough, have a trusted friend or neighbor make sure that they go by the home and pick up unsubscribed mail circulars that usually accompany a big commercial holiday. Never leave a voice message on your voice mail that says that you are away. Have your interior lights set on a timer. Call the police department and ask them to patrol your neighborhood and let them know when you expect to return. One of the best deterrents for preventing a home burglary while you are eating turkey and enjoying football is to have a home security system installed. A home security system with two-way voice communication and cell phone back-up, which provides a fail safe if the phone line is cut, is the best type of alarm system to have. Make sure that the company you select has more than one monitoring call center. Make sure that the call center is UL certified because some small alarm companies may be monitoring with a computer located in their home. You get what you pay for. So whether you are looking to secure a home in Durham, Raleigh, Goldsboro, North Carolina or Dallas, Texas or anywhere in the world applying these tips will allow you to enjoy your stay away.
Gender Issues Pertaining to Home Safety and Security
Men are from Mars and women are from Venus was a book written that discussed the differences in the way men women communicate. The author concludes that men and women speak different languages in the way they see and interpret the world. This is true when it comes to the protection of the home and whether or not a security system is necessary for the home or not. I am reminded of a story of a husband and wife that lived in a nice subdivision that had not had many experiences with crime. The conditions started to change when some cars in the neighborhood were broken into. Some of the cars had been left unlocked and the perpetrators went through the glove boxes and took anything they could find of value. One lady had just purchased a new GPS system that was a great joy to her and it was one of the items stolen. The husband simply brushed it off as some kids getting into mischief and offered to purchase his wife a new GPS, just like the one that was stolen. As a man, writing this article, I would agree at first glance that this would have seemed like the logical thing to do. Count your blessings, fix the problem and move on. This is where the differences in communication between men and woman came into play.
The wife had looked at the series of events with much more emotional attachment than her husband could have ever imagined. Simply writing a check to purchase a new GPS was not going to make this situation go away. IT WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED! The wife was not only mad about the situation but she was also fearful because she realized that if someone was brazen enough to steal from their car what would prevent them from coming into the home. Her home, that she kept immaculate, was in danger of being violated. The stolen GPS was her GPS, there was an emotional attachment. There was history with that GPS and she felt like a piece of her had been stolen. For years she had hated coming home to a dark house and having to walk to the door fumbling with her keys: trying to get inside as fast as she could. Now going inside posed a new sense of uncertainty because what if the hooligan was inside and she walked in on him? She was no trained martial artist, and what good was a spinning back kick if the criminal had a gun? The husband’s macho swagger that there was no need for a home security system would fall like a house of cards in a tornado. He had never before known her fears because they were always interpreted against the back drop of his perception that his wife worried too much. He realized that her safety should come first. He had read in the papers of home invasions, burglaries and other crimes. There was a need for security systems in Johnston County, North Carolina. There was a need for home security systems in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Goldsboro and all of North Carolina. They made the decision to use Power Home Technologies, the top Vector Security Dealer in the nation. They are happy with the service. They feel safer and both sides have learned to communicate more effectively. The greatest part of communication is learning to listen and not assuming what the other individual needs or wants. As a security consultant, I have also learned to listen. The greatest stories come from those who have experienced them and those who experience them because they have listened to them. Lessons learned and applied from listening are as valuable as lessons learned by experience. They can have more value because experience can unforgiving.