Personal Alarms
What Kind of Security do you get from Dummy Cameras? August 27, 2008
If you are a business owner, no matter what kind of business that may be, chances are you have worried about the security of your money and your stock. You can’t be everywhere at once; watching the stock, the cash registers, the safes, the employees and the customers, it’s impossible and installing a fully-fledged camera system that covers every room and every angle can be a very expensive endeavour, especially if you have a lot of floor space. 
So what’s a concerned business owner or manager to do? This is the kind of stressful situation that can actually be alleviated with a full-scale security system that only APPEARS to be a security system. Dummy Cameras (like the one shown left) available by Mail Order from websites like Crime Prevention Products (who are one of the largest online retailers in the UK of this type of product), are a great way to deter crime in whatever form you feel it might take – shoplifting, employee thievery, or even just paid staff wasting too much time on the clock! The key is simply to hook up an elaborate (or simple, as the case may be) network of dummy cameras where they seem to be semi-hidden but are in fact in plain view.
Although dummy cameras are clearly not going to monitor your space in actuality, they will give the impression that they are to anyone who might pose a risk. Would-be shoplifters who see what looks like a security camera pointed right at them aren’t going to stuff anything into their pockets, and staff members who work in front of the fake lens all day aren’t likely to make off with any of your cash. The real job of dummy cameras is to instil fear into the hearts of potential criminals who could very well hurt your profits or even your business reputation. As far as thieves are concerned, dummy cameras are exactly the same as real cameras because they are in view, and they appear to be recording the day’s events for you to review at any time you see fit.
The key to success with dummy cameras is to NOT LET ANYONE KNOW THEY’RE FAKE! With the possible exception of store managers and partners (use your own discretion), if one person knows you are using dummy cameras, word will spread. Initially, it will be harmless – one innocent staff or family member will tell a friend, and the gossip will continue until someone who is not so innocent hears the news. 
If you want to keep your business safe using dummy cameras, you have to keep the security measures to yourself. Think about it this way – if you are having trust issues with customers and staff members in the first place, you can’t extend any trust to these same people when it comes to security cameras.
So are dummy cameras actually as effective as real camera security systems? Well, they can be, so long as you take the necessary precautions to prevent anyone from discovering that they are fake. Don’t install dummy cameras anywhere that people can reach or play around with them – they’ve got to be out of reach, but in view just the same. Keep this in mind and your business is much safer for it!
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A THIRD OF ALL HOMES FALLS VICTIM TO GARDEN BURGLARY August 22, 2008
CUMBRIA Police are advising people to secure their gardens in the same way they secure their homes to combat the rise of garden related crime over the summer months. Many gardeners are keeping up to £2,000 worth of ornaments and tools outdoors but doing almost nothing to protect them and their garden sheds could be thieves’ target.
Terry Rattee of Crime Prevention Products advises keeping garden sheds and gates locked and fitting Prikka Strips to wall or fence tops to thwart burglars ensuring your boundary fences, walls and gates are kept in good order as these provide a valuable deterrent for the would-be-thief.
Make sure the fabric of your shed/garage is in good overall condition and fit a good quality lock to the door making sure any fittings are bolted through the door with concealed screws. He suggests fitting one of the latest types of Siren Padlock Alarm as they are not expensive and will pay for themselves very quickly. They are robust padlocks with the huge advantage of triggering a loud two-tone 110 decibel siren if anybody tampers with the lock. The alarm switches off after 10 seconds if no further movement is detected, so it will not annoy the neighbours but will immediately re-sound if the lock is tampered with again. A little expense in terms of the lock can be money well spent and may help with any insurance premiums and subsequent claims if the worst does happen.
Marking equipment with your postcode or name using a Permanent UV Marking Pen increases the chances of the property being recovered and returned to its rightful owner and can be done quickly and easily. There are also Alpha Dot Marking Systems available which are small pots containing hundreds of tiny micro dots suspended in liquid which are simply ‘painted’ into inaccessible areas with the small brush provided. A few dabs with the brush into corners etc. are enough to deposit quite a few of the micro dots, each of which contains a unique identifying code which is traceable back to the owner via a free database. Remember, the thief would have to find ALL the dots whereas the police only need find ONE!
With the warmer weather over the summer months a lot of people will be regularly using their bicycles and storing them in sheds and garages. This is one of the most popular items for thieves to steal and sell on. Shed Alarms are a useful deterrent and can be purchased for just a few pounds and are available by Mail Order.
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Cracking down on conmen with the Chaperone Spyhole Doorcam August 15, 2008
A NATIONAL operation to target unscrupulous conmen and distraction burglars has resulted in arrests in the Gwent area last month. The operation actively targeted individuals and groups who deliberately overcharge for unsatisfactory services or goods, charge for unnecessary work, obtain money, leave work unfinished and worst of all, intimidate in order to extort money.
Gwent Police said: “This operation was all about tackling unscrupulous people who cold call, often on the most vulnerable people in our society and overcharge for unsatisfactory or even non existent work”.
When it comes to Bogus Callers and Distraction Burglary (where someone calls at the door under the pretence of needing access to the house to check for a water leak, for example) there is a brilliant new device just out 
called the Chaperone Automatic Spyhole Doorcam. As the name suggests, this little unit fits into the door like a normal spyhole but is connected to an inbuilt PIR movement detector & camera which, when it spots movement up to a few feet from the door, will automatically record good quality full video of the person or persons face in addition to recording any speech! This is recorded onto a simple SD card and may later be used in evidence or to help identify the criminal. As the operation is automatic, the homeowner doesn’t have to remember to do anything but if a crime occurs (or an attempt) the information can be quickly recovered for the police.
The Chaperone Spyhole Doorcam is available from Crime Prevention Products who are one of the largest online retailers in the UK of this type of product. Managing Director, Terry Rattee said “There is often a link between rogue traders and distraction burglars whereby if a person becomes a victim of a rogue trader or distraction burglar, they will often become a repeat victim because of the exchange of information between these groups.”
The Wales regional enforcement operation, which took place at the end of May included police forces, along with local Trading Standards units within each local authority. Its aim was to reduce the number of rogue trading incidents and distraction burglary offences through robust enforcement, and to raise public awareness of doorstep crime.
As a result of the operation, there were 13 vehicles seized - 19 Trading Standards offences detected and 5 incidents reported from members of the public.
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Youth Crime! Some Examples On How To Control It August 8, 2008
Following on from our last piece on the 27% increase in the number of children and youths convicted or cautioned in England and Wales, what should we do about it? The government appears paralysed about tackling this problem effectively with initiatives on this and initiatives on that but never getting to the root of the problem.
As a society we need to handle youth crime better, but how? Sadly discipline should begin at home but all too often it is left to schools to try and teach children conformity to the rule of law but if that same discipline is not in place at home as well, whatever they learn at school, children will believe it only applies to school! After all, if you are told at school that you cannot leave a desk or table without permission, or that you are not allowed to interrupt while someone is already talking but this is not enforced at home, then it is not long before a child believes that those rules must only apply at school.
Below are some options that are being considered and discussed as an alternative way to deal with out-of-control youth crime in the UK.
OPTIONS:
National Service :
There is a growing cry to re-introduce National Service. Can this be an option? Forcing 18 year olds to join the Armed Forces for a set period would certainly enforce the concept of discipline within them. Believe me you really have no choice but to learn to do as you are told and to follow the rules otherwise, ever increasing penalties may be imposed and it is generally not long before you begin to realise that if you conform you start to have a better life and more freedom.
Three Strike Policy:
This is used in several countries whereby if you continue to commit offences, by the third time you come before the courts you face a statutory punishment irrespective of personal circumstances. This works because the person concerned knows that they have already been before the Justices twice and therefore they know that the next time, there is a Statutory Punishment coming their way for example it could be a form of National Service as previously mentioned say for a period of 12 months or perhaps a 3 month army course run rather like Boot Camp.
Zero Tolerance:
This type of policy has had tremendous positive results in most places where it has been tried including New York (murder capital of the world) and where the crime rate was astronomical. One or two forward thinking police chiefs have instigated such a policy with generally good results in this country too, but it probably needs to be taken further. It is no use incarcerating someone under this policy unless there are specially designed holding units for them, just sending them to a normal prison is likely to be counter-productive because they are simply going to be mixing with much more hardened criminals who will teach them even more in criminal behavior!
In the meantime, while youth crime continues to largely go unpunished, continues to rise and the country continues to just talk about a solution, there are a choice of various types of Personal Alarms available which will at least make the holder feel a bit safer knowing that if anything untoward should happen, they are able to attract attention quickly by simply pulling the pin and producing 130+ decibels!
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We’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject, please use the comments section below and remember to subscribe to the Crime Prevention Blogs RSS Feed to get the latest news and reviews of crime and self-protection products.
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Number Of Young Offenders Soars to All-Time High August 4, 2008
The number of young offenders being dealt with by police and the courts has jumped by more than a quarter in the last six years.
In some areas of England and Wales, the number of under 18’s being handled by the criminal justice system has nearly doubled in the same period. Figures gathered under the Freedom of Information Act showed a 27% increase in the number of children and youths convicted or cautioned. The number of under 15’s increased by a third, and there was an 11% increase in the number of adults dealt with by the criminal justice system in the same period.
For example a 28-year-old woman has become one of London’s latest victims of knife crime after she was stabbed to death outside a supermarket in south London – 500 yards from her house. Dee Willis was stabbed several times in the upper body outside a supermarket in south London.
Her death was the third in the capital in three days and the second in as many days in south London. It followed those of Ben Kinsella and Hamouda Bessaad who died on the Sunday and Monday and it comes in the wake of the news that more than 1,000 people were arrested after the Metropolitan Police’s latest knife crackdown.
26,777 stop and searches were carried out and over 500 weapons recovered during Operation Blunt Two, a six-week operation that led to 1,214 arrests.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner joined the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, in urging the public to do more to counter knife crime.
In another incident a Jewish man was stabbed in Golders Green, just meters from the scene of a double stabbing back in April. The 55-year-old man was stabbed with a knife at about 8.40pm. A police spokesman said the man was found with a single wound under his arm and he was taken by ambulance to a north London Hospital in a stable condition.
With the increase in violent, unprovoked assaults taking place around the country and the massive increase in youth crime (the principal protagonists in this type of crime) now is the time to consider something like the UV Personal Attack Defence Spray which is specially formulated (and therefore legal) for the UK market and made by Mace.
The spray comes in handy canisters which will fit easily into a pocket or bag 
and you can even get a small pouch to fit onto your belt. A simple press on the firing button will cause the Defence Spray to shoot out a stream of sticky goo into the face of any assailant (see opposite). This then spreads getting into the eyes, mouth and nose and whilst causing no harm (completely non toxic) the attacker will reel back not knowing what has happened. This will usually give the victim enough time to get away from the scene.
The attacker meanwhile, is left with what looks like blood all over him or her which is going to draw attention to them as they also run away. Not only that, but it leaves an invisible ultraviolet trace on their clothing and skin which may help with identification later.
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Top Tips to Help Thieves and Burglars Steal Your Property July 30, 2008
Thieves and burglars seem to think we’re easy pickings and not too fussed about our valuables, property or personal belongings. We actually make it easy for them to take our stuff. Why would I say such a thing. We’ll here’s some examples of how easy we make it for thieves and burglars that we have all been guilty of at some point in time.
Snow Dropping Clothes
Clothes drying on a washing line are easy targets for thieves looking to upgrade their fashion range. Most of the time this type of theft is down to people leaving out there washing well into the evening or even at night-time mostly through forgetfulness. Installing security lights in your garden that will come on in the evening and deter potential intruders is the best way to deal with snow dropping thieves.
Back Pocket Wallets
Why do people still carry their wallets in their back pocket. Its an ideal target for pickpockets when they see the unmistakable bump in your trousers or jeans back pocket. If you have to carry wallets around with you then placing them in your front pocket is a much wiser decision especially in crowded areas.
Keys Left in the Ignition
A large percentage of people still leave keys in the ignition of their car because there just popping down to the shops or paying for petrol and it only takes a few minutes. It takes a car thief seconds to enter your vehicle and drive off. Break the habit of giving someone the opportunity of stealing your car – simple vehicle security : lock doors and windows and never leave your car keys in the ignition.
My Password is Password
The majority of us are on-line and we have accounts holding various information about ourselves including bank or credit card details. Security should be at the forefront of all our thoughts when we select our passwords. Having your password as ‘password’ or ‘letmein’ is just asking for trouble. Keep your details secure, mix up your password with an alapha-numeric password and no less than 6 characters length. Remember, identity theft is a fast rising profitable area for thieves don’t help them by having easy-to-work-out passwords for your computer or on-line profiles.
Leaving House Windows Open
The summertime brings with it good weather if we’re lucky enough – unfortunately good weather also brings with it the chance of opportunity for house burglars as we leave windows open to cool down the house. You can install window security that will help protect your home from an intruder or take it to the next level and get CCTV installed in your home.
We hope these tips will make your realise that bad habits, forgetfulness or sometimes just sheer laziness in protecting your possessions is what makes a thief or burglar’s job all the more easy.
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Personal Alarms can be used to Frighten off Bag/Purse Snatchers on Holiday July 28, 2008
Violent crime is on the rise in many once-safe communities, and more and more people are finding it necessary to include an extra measure of security to protect themselves and their loved ones from assault. Passing through familiar or unfamiliar neighborhoods, being alone at the office or even just walking across the car park at night to get to your car can pose a serious risk to your safety.
Terry Rattee of Crime Prevention Products said “Going away on holiday is a vital time to begin considering a personal alarm which has the ability to attach to your bag or purse because sadly, bag and purse snatches are on the increase when abroad.” 
The Genny’ All-Purpose Personal Alarm (seen right) has such an attachment which allows the user to connect one end of the alarm to their purse or bag and the other (with the pin connector) to a belt loop for example.
As soon as someone grabs the bag or purse, this triggers the 130+ decibel alarm and because it is still attached to the stolen item, it is screaming as they run. It would be a very brave thief that does not drop the item quickly.
There are many different types and sizes of personal alarms to suit every need and lifestyle. They travel easily in pocket or purse, and some personal alarms have other handy self-defence and safety aids built into them, such as a torch or flashing strobe light. These personal alarms are perfect for a woman alone, joggers and cyclists or night-shift employees who might have to enter a dark building or parking lot.
For more information or advice about other Personal Alarms and other helpful self-defence items, visit CPP at www.c-p-p.co.uk or telephone 01494 792592
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Counterfeit £20 Notes Flooding UK July 25, 2008
COUNTERFEIT MONEY ALERT
Warnings have been issued about the use of forged £20 banknotes across the country in the last few weeks now reaching epidemic proportions. Police officers have become aware of counterfeit £20 notes circulating in shops and other outlets across the UK and are advising retailers to compare any suspect notes with one that is known to be genuine, as there is always something that the counterfeiters cannot reproduce properly - usually the watermark or on poor quality paper.
The quality of the paper used in genuine notes is specially manufactured and almost impossible to get hold of by counterfeiters. Two things can help prevent you being caught out by a forged note; the first is a specially made Counterfeit Detection Pen which reacts to normal paper but not to genuine currency paper. The other is a UV Lamp (either Handheld UV Lamps which are battery operated or Mains operated units available) which will illuminate the ultraviolet marking within a genuine note.
Counterfeit Detection Pens are cheap to buy and have the advantage of being very easy to use in a busy environment, simply mark each note with a quick stroke of the pen and if the mark left is clear or feint then the note is probably okay but if it leaves a dark or black mark, the note must be treated as suspect.
UV Lamps work differently, by placing a note beneath the UV Light, it will illuminate the ultraviolet marking hidden within a genuine note but can only be seen under the black light. On all notes except the £50 note, the UV marking is the denomination of the note (figure 5 for a £5 note and the figure 10 for a £10 note etc). On a £50 note, there should be no reflection at all. Most forgeries are based on the £20 note, this is because a £50 note attracts attention of the shopkeeper whereas a £20 note is so common these days that they barely have a 2nd glance at them and of course, it is better for the forger to get £20 than £5 or £10, hence the proliferation of forged £20 notes at the moment!
There is also a mains operated UV Lamp available which will not only give a brighter UV light but also contains a built in white light so that you can also check the watermarks (which are almost impossible for the forger to copy). Another good use for the white light is to check the silver line running through a note. On a genuine note the line is only intermittent appearing as dashes but the forger cannot do that but makes the line appear to be dashed, however, under the white light the line shows up as continuous, another forged note saved!
Often counterfeit notes will be handed over among genuine ones, so shopkeepers are advised to check all money thoroughly but particularly £20 notes - and shoppers and shopkeepers should be aware that if they receive a counterfeit note, the bank will not compensate them.
More information about forged notes can be found on the Bank of England’s website.
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Thieves Target Central Heating Oil Tanks July 21, 2008
The amount of oil held in the average outdoor central heating oil tank is probably worth at least £1200 and is now making it a real target for thieves. Terry Rattee, Managing Director of Crime Prevention Products said “When you hear that thieves are already stealing petrol and diesel from cars parked up in the street because of the high cost of fuel at the moment, it was obvious that it wouldn’t be long before they realised the huge profits to be made by stealing heating oil.”
There are two things that can be done to help prevent this type of crime. 
The first is to install a Driveway Alarm in the vicinity of the Oil Tank so that if anyone goes in the area of the tank, an alarm or chime is sent wirelessly to a receiver unit in the house. (You may even fit additional movement detectors elsewhere around the garden which will send a signal to the same receiver unit inside). This way, the occupier is made aware of the movement and can take the necessary steps to stop the theft early.
The second is to secure the storage tank using a Chaperone Siren Padlock Alarm which is robustly made and will trigger a 110 decibel two-tone alarm if tampered with! Although the alarm stops after 10 seconds of inactivity, it will immediately re-sound if moved again and not many thieves want to hang around when such an alarm is going off, for fear of being caught.
Terry added “This Padlock Alarm is corrosion resistant and made with a hardened zinc alloy body and will sound off whether moved or subjected to shock (like being hit with a hammer or jemmy). It is weather resistant and the batteries can only be accessed when the padlock has been unlocked.”
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Protect Your Home and Your Family July 17, 2008
The is no better place to feel safe and secure than in your own home. It’s where we can relax after a hard days work, be ourselves and share laughter and stories with our families and friends. Consider the aftermath then when someone enters your home under their own accord and rummages through your personal belongings and then leaves with your most prized possessions.
Burglaries leave a negative effect – robbing a home of its secure feeling along with its owners possessions. Once your home has been burgled it takes time to recreate that safe, secure and homely feeling.
Preventative action can stop most burglars from even attempting to enter your house. Here are a few tips that we highly recommend in keeping your house and family safe.
Security Alarms : Studies show that your home will be less likely be burgled if you have a well maintained and correcly fitted burglar alarm. Wireless Burglar Alarms are becoming a more popular choice to help make a house more secure.
Doors and Windows : It is claimed that up to 20% of burglaries are of the opportunistic variety i.e. Most thieves see doors that are not properly locked or are just weak in their fittings or windows open just enough to give a thief an opportunity. Door security can come in many forms such as fitting a quality lock, door chains, ensuring the door frame is sound. Windows can be secured by window locks, vibration sensitive alarms and alarms triggered by the window opening.
Make Your House Look Occupied : If your staying overnight or going away for your holidays then try and arrange a house sitter for the time you are away or even having someone come round and open your blinds / curtains in the morning and close them again at night time. If this is not an option then you can always get some automatic timers that will switch lights or radios on and off automatically.
Giving The Burglar The Key To Your Home : Never leave keys outside under loose slabs or bricks, plant pots near your door or above door frames . Thieves know these spots, they understand where to look. It may seem an awesome hiding place for you – to a burglar it would probably be the first place they looked.
We can’t issue the importance of making these preventative measure tips to help protect your home but one other thing you may want to help is by property marking your items incase the thieves do get in then with property marking kits makes the likelihood of recovering your property much higher.
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