tag: News and Announcements
The New Wave of Kick-in Burglaries: How to Protect Yourself
1) Consider eliminating your alarm delay time (normally used to give you time to get to the keypad and disarm the alarm system) by using a key chain remote to disarm the system before you enter the home. By taking this precaution, your alarm siren will sound immediately and your alarm signal will be sent 30-45 seconds earlier, which is a substantial amount of time during an intrusion.
2) Switch to IP and/or SNAP Radio Monitoring. By utilizing Urban Alarm's IP or SNAP mesh radio network you will regain control of your land line during an alarm and your alarm signal will be received by the monitoring center in 1-2 seconds, instead of after the customary 15-45 seconds.
3) Install panic buttons in your upstairs bedroom and/or bathrooms. Aside from being able to send an alarm signal quickly the monitoring center will treat these signals as a higher priority dispatching the police immediately and bypassing the alarm verification call to the house.
4) Consider installing a video intercom system. This will take a picture of anyone who rings your doorbell and let you see and communicate with visitors without opening your door. Had the first vandalized house been outfitted with a video intercom system and the owners given the captured image to the police, the next two intrusions may have been prevented.
Though you cannot control an intruder's behavior, you can control how you react to it. For more information, give us a call.
Lessons from the Fairfax Gold Burglaries
This week, police apprehended three suspects of the Fairfax Gold Burglaries mentioned in the previous post. At the time of their arrest, the burglars had robbed 26 Loudoun County homes, mostly during daylight hours, stealing gold jewelry, statues and saris with gold thread. Tom Jackman of The Washington Post reported:
A search warrant filed Thursday in Fairfax Circuit Court revealed that witnesses helped police identify two possible suspects: a Hispanic man in a blue jumpsuit or work uniform, appearing to be a maintenance or repair worker, and a Hispanic woman with pink- or red-tinted hair who knocked on doors soliciting plumbing work.Even though these particular burglars have been caught, there is still a lot to be learned from their crimes:
Some witnesses also told police that they had seen a small, blue sport-utility vehicle, possibly a Ford, parked in the neighborhoods where some of the break-ins occurred. The thefts often occurred during the day.
- The break-ins occurred during daylight hours when most residents were at work. By installing a webcam to monitor properties from their offices, PDAs or iPhones, residents could have captured valuable footage of the intruders and may have been able to order a police dispatch before the burglars fled the property.
- These burglars gained access to homes and information of the people who lived there by interacting with residents beforehand, disguised as service workers. Had these homes been equipped with video intercom security systems, the residents would have automatically captured images of the intruders at first contact, possibly leading the police to an earlier apprehension.
- This neighborhood did hold three town hall-style meetings to share information and speak to local authorities. This type of gathering is often useful for targeted, repetitive break-ins because it enables residents to share information and develop a suspect profile. In fact, the police apprehension in these burglaries was based on a tip from neighborhood witnesses who had been to these town meetings and knew who to look for. Hold a neighborhood meeting or use websites like groups.yahoo.com , blogspot.com or facebook.com to develop an online portal for your community. Encourage residents to post photos, video and information regarding suspicious activity and to check the site regularly.
- Always remember to keep your alarm system alarmed even if you are gone briefly during the day. These intruders spent a lot of time parked around the neighborhood and may be tempted to burglarize even during short intervals of absence. Walking in on a burglar is the worst-case scenario; eliminate that risk by setting your alarm during any absence of any length and locking your doors while at home.
Developing a Security Strategy
Developing a Security Strategy
Radio Monitoring with SNAP Technology
These days, many people have chosen to forego telephone land lines in their homes in favor of the simpler, cheaper cellular option. With this trend comes a shift in how we monitor security systems on those properties from the traditional land line to cell phones and radio networks. Although Urban Alarm can monitor your alarm system using cell phone technology, it often requires that you replace your alarm panel.
Another option unique to Urban Alarm is SNAP(TM) radio monitoring. Urban Alarm offers the only FCC licensed radio monitoring network covering the NW DC area that will work with your existing alarm system to provide you with even better security than telephone-monitored systems.
With telephone-monitored systems, it can often take 30-50 seconds to send an alarm signal, but with Urban Alarm's SNAP radio monitoring system the signal is sent instantaneously. Also, with traditional telephone-monitored systems, when your alarm goes off the alarm panel seizes the line, which can interrupt your ability to make an outgoing call (e.g., 911). With SNAP radio monitoring you have complete use of your phone line at all times.
So how does it work? You do not need to replace your existing alarm system to take advantage of Urban Alarm's SNAP technology. Our technicians will simply install a SNAP transmitter at your home or business and you will be instantly connected to our mesh radio network. With SNAP radio monitoring, your alarm system will always be 'online' and ready to send a signal to our Central Monitoring Station. Whereas phone lines can be cut, seized or interrupted, your SNAP transmitter sends a repeater signal through its mesh network so that each alarm signal takes multiple pathways to the Central Monitoring Station, ensuring that your signal is transmitted effectively and as quickly as possible.
Urban Alarm Accolades: Excellence in Design
Urban Alarm won the logo design category for the Security Sales and Integration's 2009 SAMMY Awards. The SAMMY Awards recognize superior design and implementation in sales and marketing for the security industry. Miles Fawcett, Urban Alarm's President, received the award at the March 31st 2009 Las Vegas ceremony with Urban Alarm beating out Protection One and Stanley Convergent Security Solutions.
Urban Alarm is Finalist in "The SAMMY" Industry Awards
Urban Alarm has been selected as a finalist in the logo design category for the Security Sales and Integration's 2009 SAMMY Awards. The SAMMY Awards recognizes superior efforts in sales and marketing for the security industry. Urban Alarm has been selected for the exceptional logo which stands out as one of the best in the industry. The Awards ceremony and final announcement will be at the ISC West security industry conference in Las Vegas on March 31st 2009.
Washington DC & Surrounding Areas
Call us for a free consultation
202.265.2700
Request Information
