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STRATEGIC ALARM SECURITY/SERVICE
One of the Main things you are all going to have to think about is Security. Just because the sun shines it does not mean that it is too hot for the Criminal to work. While you are out enjoying yourself. The Criminal is enjoying himself helping himself to all your worldly goods. It is not just the item he takes it is the violation of your home that will be the most stressfull thing that you will be left to deal with.
My New Site sas-security-home.co.uk coming soon will I hope assist you in assessing the level of security that you will need to protect your Property and Home in Spain.
1. Security Assessment on the Property.
2. Changing all locks to entry doors to the Property.
3. Fitting Alarm System. Inc Wall & Floor Safes
4. Fitting of Security Grills
5. Patrol visit to check on your Property
6. Villa Care (please see villa care)
7. Property Management Looking after all your Rentals. inc Advertising.
8. Yellowpages. Find the tradesman you can Trust
Beat the burglar Make your home more secure
Peace of mind while you’re away - Advice on keeping your home secureEveryone needs a holiday some time. And however much you like your home, there’s nothing like a change of surroundings.
But you want to come home and find everything as you left it. Four out of five burglaries occur when a house or flat is empty, so don’t advertise that you’re away on holiday. Plan aheadThe checklist below will help you to keep your home secure. Read it now so that you can plan ahead. Then tick off the items just before you go. Help from your neighboursIt’s also a good idea to get help from your neighbours. All you have to do is fill in the card below and give it to a friend or neighbour. It asks them to keep an eye on your home while you’re away.
You could also ask them to collect post left in the letter-box, sweep up leaves, even mow the lawn and generally make the place look lived in.
You can repay the favour by doing the same for them. Warn your key-holding neighbour not to put your surname, address or even your house number on your keys in case they fall into the wrong hands.
Is there a Neighbourhood Watch scheme where you live? It could help you keep your home secure while you’re away, and has many other crime prevention and community benefits. ChecklistHelp reduce the risk of your home being broken into by taking some simple home security measures. The free booklet ‘Your Practical Guide to Crime Prevention’ has over a hundred tips on preventing crime, available from your local police station or write to Home Office, PO Box 999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS.
Leave small valuable items, like jewellery, on deposit at the bank, or consider installing a small floor safe. Don’t lock internal doors or desks – they may be forced if someone does break in.
Mark any other valuable items with your postcode followed by the house number or the first two letters of the house name. Then if they are stolen and later found, the police can identify and return them to you. Use the right security marker – DIY shops sell property-marking kits. Ask your local crime prevention officer for ‘postcoded property’ warning stickers to display in the front and back windows of your house. Also take photos of all valuable items. This is particularly important for those which may be unsuitable for marking.
Arrange for pets to be properly looked after.
Cut the lawn before you go.
Cancel deliveries of milk, newspapers, etc., discreetly – don’t announce your departure to a shop full of people. Only tell people who need to know you’re going away.
Make sure your house looks occupied. Closed curtains in the daytime make it look as if no one is home. It is worthwhile to get automatic time-switches to switch lights – and a radio – on and off in downstairs rooms.
Don’t leave valuable items like TVs, videos or hi-fi visible through windows.
Lock the garage and shed with proper security locks, after putting all your tools safely away so they cannot be used to break into your house. If you have to leave a ladder out, put it on its side and lock it to a secure fixture with a ‘close-shackle’ padlock and a heavy-duty chain.
Don’t have your home address showing on your luggage for the outward journey. Put this only on the inside of your cases.
Finally, lock all outside doors and windows. If you have a burglar alarm, make sure it is set – and that you have told the police who the key-holder is.
And just before you actually set off, it’s worth allowing a quiet couple of minutes on the doorstep to check you’ve done all you had to do and taken everything you need with you.
Dear neighbour
Please be a good neighbour and look after my house while I’m away. Check doors and windows (every day, if possible). Push newspapers and letters right through the letter-box. Make sure no milk or other deliveries are left on the step. And if you see or hear anything suspicious, please don’t hesitate to dial 999 and ask for the police.
Good Neighbour Card
Signed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Home address-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Thank you for your help – I’ll look after your home while you are away.
I will be away from -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Returning on ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Holiday address(es), dates and telephone numbers--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Holiday company telephone ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Car make, colour and registration ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other information ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Please keep this card in a safe place – thank you. (If you have my spare key, please don’t mark it with my surname, address, house number or anything similar.)
MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE BURGLAR
Most burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves. In two out of ten burglaries they don’t even have to use force – they get in through an open door or window.
Look at your home through the burglar’s eyes – are there places where they could break in unseen? Have you fitted strong locks on your doors and windows? Would they have to make a lot of noise by breaking glass?
Reduce the risk of burglary happening to you by making sure you’ve taken these simple precautions.
For a relatively small outlay you could make your home more secure and buy peace of mind into the bargain.
Windows
A third of burglars get in through a back window.
Easily visible locks may deter some thieves, because a window lock forces the thief to break the glass and risk attracting attention. DIY shops sell inexpensive key-operated locks to fit all kinds of window. Fit key-operated window locks to all downstairs windows, those which can’t be seen from the street and easily accessible upstairs window, eg. Those above a flat roof or by a drainpipe.Even small windows such as skylights or bathroom fanlights need locks – a thief can get through any gap larger than a human head. Remember to remove keys from locked windows and to keep them out of sight in a safe place. Louvre windows are especially vulnerable because the slats can be removed easily from the frame. Glue the slats in place with an epoxy resin, and fit a special louvre lock. Better still replace them with fixed glass.If you are replacing windows – consider laminated glass.As a last resort, consider fitting security grilles to vulnerable windows – many DIY shops now sell decorative wrought iron grilles.
For a Contact E-mail john.b.fisher@masarronpropertyservice.co.uk
Casement locks make it impossible to open windows without the correct key.
Fanlight locks have a metal bolt to secure the metal arm used to open and close the window.
Picture to Follow
The lock shown here locks the two windows together. A more discreet version is embedded into the wooden frame. Or there are devices to stop the window opening beyond a certain limit
Around the house
LIGHTING
Good lighting can deter a thief.
Some exterior lights have an infra-red sensor that switches the light on for a few moments when it detects something in its range. Sensors can be bought separately to convert an existing outdoor light into a security one.
Look in when you’re out.
Most burglaries happen when a house or flat is empty, so: Use time switches – available from DIY shops – to turn on lights, radios and other appliances when you’re out.Don’t tempt the thief – keep all valuable items out of sight.Don’t advertise your absence when you’re on holiday, or even when out at work or shopping. Most burglars will only tackle an empty house.If you can, get a friend or neighbour to look after your home when you’re away, by collecting your post, drawing your curtains at night and generally making the place look lived in. And be prepared to do the same for them.BURGLAR ALARMS
Visible burglar alarms make burglars think twice.
There are many systems on the market, ranging from cheaper DIY alarms to more sophisticated alarms costing hundreds of pounds. Easily installable ‘wire-free’ alarms are now available whereby sensors fitted around the house transmit radio detection signals to a control system. These systems usually take 3-4 hours to fit. Wired alarms are cheaper but take longer – around a day – to install. Get specialist advice and a number of quotes.Consult your insurance company for companies they recommend before deciding which best suits your needs. The system should meet BS4737 (professionally installed) or BS6707 (DIY).Remember, a badly-fitted alarm can create problems in itself. Don’t install a DIY system unless you have the electrical knowledge and practical skill to do so.
IF YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT The most vulnerable part of your apartment is likely to be the front door. Replace a weak door. It should be as strong as the main entry door.Fit hinge bolts which stop the door being pulled off its hinges.Fit a steel strip to the door frame to strengthen it.Consider having a door telephone entry system installed. Never ‘buzz’ open the door for strangers or hold the door open for someone who is arriving as you are leaving. SPARE KEY Never leave a spare key in a convenient hiding place such as under the doormat or in a flower pot – a thief will look there first.If you’ve moved into a new house, consider changing the back and front door locks – other people may have keys that fit. SIDE PASSAGES Fit a strong, lockable, high gate across the passage to stop a thief getting to the back of the house where they can work undisturbed. If you share an alleyway with a neighbour, ask their permission and for help with the cost.GARAGES AND SHEDS
Often full of expensive tools ideal for breaking into the rest of the house – and often left unlocked. Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a connecting door to the house – a thief could get in and work on the inner door in privacy.Fit shed and garage doors with a strong padlock and make sure that they are solid enough not to be kicked in.Lock ladders inside the garage or shed to stop a thief using them to reach inaccessible windows. If there is no room inside, chain or padlock them horizontally to a sturdy bracket on an outside wall. GATES AND FENCES Check for weak spots where a thief could get in – a low or sagging fence, or a back gate with weak lock.A thorny hedge along the boundary can act as a deterrent. But make sure that the front of the house is still visible to passers-by so that a burglar can’t work unseen.Doors
SECURE ALL DOORS
If your front and back doors are not secure, neither is your home. Make sure the doors and frames are strong and in good condition. Doors should be made of solid core construction – 44mm thick.Glass panels on or around the door are especially vulnerable, so replace them with laminated glass.Fit back and front doors with a five-lever mortice deadlock – and use it.Fit all exterior doors – top and bottom – with bolts. Remember to fit all security devices with strong screws or bolts.Get specialist advice on fitting locks to patio doors.Fit both french doors, top and bottom, with a security mortice lock and mortice bolt. Patio doors should have special locks fitted top and bottom unless they already have a multi-locking system.
If you’re thinking of buying PVCu or metal framed windows or doors, make sure that they come with good built-in locks and a fitted chain, which can be very difficult and expensive to add retrospectively.
Look in your telephone directory for the names of local locksmiths who are members of the Master Locksmiths’ Association, or visit http://www.locksmiths.co.uk.
RIM LATCH
Most front doors are fitted with a rim latch which locks automatically when the door is closed but can be opened again from the inside without a key.
For extra protection you should consider installing the following:
AUTOMATIC DEADLOCK
This locks automatically when the door is closed, but when locked externally with a key, cannot be opened from the inside.
CHAINS
These help you to speak with strangers at the door without letting them in.
Remember, if in doubt, keep them out
Buy a chain and use it every time you open the door.
MORTICE DEADLOCK
Fit a five-lever deadlock about a third of the way up the door. One kitemarked to at least BS3621 should satisfy most insurance requirements.
A deadlock with a key, so a thief can’t smash a nearby panel to open the door from the inside; if the thief gets into the property through a window they can’t carry your property out through the door.
HINGES
Check that the door hinges are sturdy and secured with strong, long screws.
For added security fit hinge bolts. These are inexpensive and help to reinforce the hinge side of a door against the use of force.
DOOR VIEWERS
Enable you to identify callers before opening the door.
LETTERBOXES
Never hang a spare key inside the letterbox – an obvious place that a thief will check.
Consider fitting a letterbox cage which prevents thieves from putting their hand through the letterbox and trying the locks from the inside. Don’t forget
Postcode your property
In only 9% of cases where something has been stolen is property returned.
Marked property can deter burglars because it’s harder for a thief to sell and can help the police to return it if found. Mark items with indelible identification – showing your postcode and the number of your house or flat or the first two letters of its name – using a permanent etching tool or an ultra-violet marking pen. Only use UV marking when other methods would reduce the value of the object, because the mark can fade. Take pictures of all valuable items like jewellery and silverware and write down the serial numbers of your TV, video, hi-fi, home computer and camera equipment, to help the police identify them should they be recovered. If you have many valuable items, fit a safe.
Ask your local police station for ‘postcoded property’ stickers to display in the front and back windows of your house.
Insurance
Are you fully insured?
Insurance will relieve you of the financial worry of replacing stolen goods and many insurance companies offer reduced premiums for people with good home security. Ask the firm if it minds which systems you buy.
Smoke detectors
With all security, consideration must be given to the risk of fire and means of escape. Fit a smoke detector – a minimum of one per floor – installed to the manufacturer’s instructions to BS5446 Part 1.
Be a good neighbour
If you see anyone acting suspiciously in your neighbourhood, call the police. Join a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme –
The emergence of "identity theft" makes the protection of personal information extremely important.
So here are a few steps to protect your identity from theft.
Quick tip:
If you throw away credit card receipts and bills, make sure that you rip them up, or shred them if possible, so prying eyes can't read them. Identity theft is a growing problem, but these simple steps reduce your risk.
Thieves can use even the most mundane of personal details to help them "verify" that they are someone they aren't, and one of the most common ways of obtaining personal details is "bin-raiding". This is surprisingly common in affluent areas and is spreading out of towns to the countryside; with 75% of local authorities now admitting it happens regularly in their area.
An exercise carried out with the support of Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police analysed the contents of hundreds of household bins to see what people were throwing away. It found that 86% of domestic rubbish contained information helpful to fraudsters.
Three quarters of the bins that were checked contained the full name and address of at least one person from the household, while 20% of bins contained a bank account number and sort code that could be linked to the name and address of a person from the house.
So don't keep all of your bills, receipts and other personal documents in an obvious place, if you can lock it away. If you don't have anywhere to lock it, try and keep it somewhere out of the way, or seperate it out. Consider investing in a shredder!
Identity thieves will also try to dupe you into giving personal information either in person, over the phone or by using official sounding e-mails. And of course, personal computers can hold plenty of information useful to fraudsters.
Be wary
Be suspicious of anyone seeking too much personal information, and don't be afraid to challenge them by asking "why do you need those details?" - a legitimate enquirer won't mind you asking. Make sure you store all important documents and details, such as your birth certificate, national insurance number, receipts and bank statements, in a safe place.
Anything containing personal information that you intend to throw out should be destroyed before it is put in the bin. Using a household paper shredder is not taking things too far. If you think you have become the victim of an identity thief, report it to the police, local authority and relevant Government departments or companies immediately.
Keep personal information in "encrypted" folders on your computer. Encryption scrambles the contents of your chosen folder so it cannot be read by anyone else. You can "unscramble" the contents using a password. Many well-known software companies offer free downloads to help you with encryption, or encryption can be an option under your standard operating system.
Consider installing "personal firewall" software on your computer to stop online intruders or "hackers" accessing information on your PC.
If you are burgled
A secure home will reduce the chance of you getting burgled. But, if you get home and notice signs of a break-in: Don’t go in or call out – the intruder could still be inside.Go to a neighbour’s to call the police
We've all seen closed circuit television camera (CCTV) systems in public places such as shopping malls and in the street.
Bbut they're also becoming quite popular among homeowners too as a crime prevention tool.
Simple black and white surveillance systems are now fairly cheap to buy and you can install them yourself quite easily. Cameras can also be set to record what's going on outside your home while your out, keep an eye on your car, or even view certain rooms inside your home. These can all be activated by sensors similar to those used on security lights or alarm systems or can record "time lapse" images, taking still pictures every now and then.
There are some issues you need to consider if installing any kind of personal CCTV system. Cameras should only be pointed at your own property - you don't want to be accused of spying on other people.
You can buy "covert" systems disguised as lamps outside your home, or even teddy bears for inside. Think carefully about the ethics of spying on your children or nannies (as is becoming popular in the USA). You should only consider this if you're pretty sure there is something to be worried about.
Take a look around your local DIY store to see the kind of equipment currently available
Whether you prefer regular lighting, or external lamps that automatically illuminate in response to outside movement, they are an effective way of providing you with a sense of security, and can also help you find your door keys, rather than fumbling around in the dark.
The Crime Reduction College recommend installing low-level dusk to dawn lighting rather than lights triggered by motion detectors. This is because a constant environmentally friendly light source is a more effective deterrent than motion triggered lighting that cause pollution and no-one checks when they are set off. They also suggest you consider the following advice before installing your floodlights:
It is normally unnecessary to use a lamp of more than 150 watts (2000 lumens). Lights with more power than this will cause glare, create shadows and won't be popular with neighbours
Often, floodlights are fitted with motion detectors that activate the light when anyone enters the space around your home. Always follow the instructions for fitting these lamps so that small animals or birds don't accidentally set them off repeatedly during the night - causing false alarm and annoyance
If a motion detector is fitted you should be able to aim this without moving the light to ensure that only people on your own property set it off
Lights should be pointed down so that they only shine on your property. If they shine on other houses or through neighbours' windows it is considered a form of pollution. Take notice and be understanding of any complaints, otherwise your neighbour may rightfully inform the authorities.
Security lights can be easily tampered with from ground level. Position them high enough so they cannot be reached.
As an alternative to floodlights, the Institute of Lighting Engineers recommend low power bulkhead or porch lights. These are cheap to run and provide gentle lighting, meaning they can be left on all night if you wish. Other options include garden lights, some of which run on solar power. These can be expensive, but make a property attractive and provide the same security benefits as other external lights.
