Security and Alarm Systems Blog

Since 2006, Government Spending on Alarm, signal, and security detection systems has increased every year. In 2006, the federal government spent $577 milion on security systems, and in 2008 the total came to $754 million.

Progressive Technology has held their GSA Contract since 2007. And in that short time, we have gained a reputation of offering high quality security systems, security cameras, door access control and intercom. Our security system customers include Camp Pendleton (Marines), Veterans Affairs, The US Coast Guard, the Air Force, and many others. We have installed security systems for most government agencies across California.

Progressive Technology has been installing security systems in San Diego for over 22 years, and even the oldest systems have lasted far beyond a normal security system. Our competitors might offer cheap (or even free) security systems, but they are only trapping their customers into a long and expensive contract, and installing security systems that do not meet the needs of their customers. This holds true for the government contracts, and that is why Progressive Technology has been able to emerge in the government market.

By using sites like Facebook or Twitter you may be leaving yourself open to burglary due to the personal information you may be sharing. This finding is supported by a report from insurance company Legal & General warns. Anyone who goes on Facebook or Twitter and posts a vacation or even just a dinner, is leaving themselves open to a burglary. This is because they are advertising that their home will be vacant. If a user’s first and last name can be found on a social networking website, then they are susceptible to burglary because of the ease of using the internet to track down the person’s address. Applying a little bit of common sense to what people post, a burglar can estimate the better homes to burglarize. For example, if a person’s tweets always have them going to expensive restaurants, then their home may be a larger target for burglars.

Here are some tips to prevent burglary from a social networking site. First, make all of your accounts private, and only let trusted friends and family have access to your site. If a friend starts behaving erratic, or they betray your trust, do not be afraid to un-invite them from your posts. The most important preventative measure you can take is to have a security system that is well designed, and to use it. There are many security system installation companies that do not install an air tight system, in order to assure the sale or increase their profit. Another great tip is to be careful of what you advertise. For example, do not post that you will be going on a vacation, be out of town for a weekend, etc.

In many communities in San Diego, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside and Temecula a security system can prevent a burglary. These cities are all great places to work and live, and the social networking websites are very popular in these cities.

Property Crime in California Homes and other property went down every year in the 1990’s, but then there was a rise from 2000-05. The most recent data available on California’s crime statistics is from 2007, with the California Department of Justice. There was a total of 681,235 property crimes in 2007 in California, which amounted to a Crime Rate of 1,803. This means that nearly 4% of the population in California was the victim of Burglary, Larceny or Theft. Another half of a percent (0.5%) of Californians were victims of a more severe property crime, such as Robbery or Aggravated Assault. The probability of being murdered in California in 2007 was one sixth of one percent, and the probability of being raped was one quarter of one percent.

The majority of these crimes happen at home. There are many ways to prevent burglary, larceny, theft and robbery. And even rape and murder can be prevented with a security system designed for full protection. Full protection means that your security system has a contact on every door from the outside, and every window is contacted as well. Also, a strategic use of motion detectors and glass break detectors will act as a secondary measure in case the intruder finds a way into the home that does not trip the contacts.

The sad thing is that many people have security systems, and they just don’t use them. The number one reason is that their system has had false alarms so they simply don’t use it anymore. Others never think of the value a security system in California can offer, until it’s too late.

Murder and rape are obviously the worst crimes imaginable, but being burglarized can have a very dramatic effect on someone’s feeling of safety. In a burglary, an intruder breaks into your private residence, touches your things, takes your valuables. The psychological impact of a robbery is sometimes very difficult to overcome. Some long term effects of burglary are a lack of sleep, mistrust, and paranoia.

There are many home security companies in California, so how do you know which one to use? There are three important criteria. First, they must be licensed by the state of California (CSLB) or you are liable for any damage they do to your house during the installation. Second, it is much better to go with a local security company that has a good reputation for installing and servicing your security system. This is important because if the company is too small then they probably ore unlicensed, but if they are a nationwide security installation company then their service will be horrible.

The third important criteria is the old adage that your dad always said, “You get what you pay for.” It is smart to get at least three quotes for a home security system. If one or two of the quotes seem abnormally low, then they are low for a reason. In my opinion it is irresponsible of a company to offer to install a security system that will not fully protect the customer, just for the sake of underbidding the competition. A security system’s function is to protect your family, and does not deserve compromise in any way. The best way to handle the quotes is to look at what you will get for the price they have offered, and do the research on the company. If their BBB rating is bad, or there are bad reviews on www.yelp.com, then you may end up being one of those victims who has a security system but never uses it because it is dysfunctional.

For the first time since 2001, a there is a steady increase in the crime index relating to property crimes in San Diego (view graph). There have been over 82,300 total property crimes in San Diego County in 2008, with the highest months being April, September and December. This increase in crime can be attributed to the economic recession. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in a security system in your San Diego home or office. Even just having a few motion detectors and contacts on doors and windows can help protect your family or business from break-in in san diego county.

There are several types of electronic security available. For example, if your business involves keeping an inventory of anything valuable, then you would gain from a surveillance camera system, or a cctv security system. A cctv security system will allow you to view and record happenings around your office, warehouse or outside surroundings. Often times, just the presence of a cctv security system prevents burglary because the burglar knows they are being watched and they know that it is more likely that they will be captured.

Another great option for a business with valuable inventory or valuable trade secrets is door access control. San Diego is a hot spot for technology and pharmaceutical companies, and protection is very important in these sectors. A door access control system or intercom only allows access to restricted areas to pre-approved people. This system can use a numeric keypad, magnetic swipe card, RFID keyfob, or biometric devices to allow or deny access to vital areas of your business. These systems are very big in the federal government, where national secrets and expensive technology must be guarded. A door access control system in San Diego actually saves money because it drastically reduces the need for security guards.

Preventing burglary can be as simple as locking your doors and windows, yet 14% don’t have window locks and 18% of people don’t even have proper door locks.Homes are frequently targeted by burglars over the summer holidays and households with no security are 10 times more likely to be burgled than those with only simple (or no) security measures. Progressive Technology has a wealth of home San Diego home security products to help deter burglars from entering and burglarizing your home.

California must reduce its prisoner population by around 40,000 inmates over the next two years, a panel of federal judges ruled on Tuesday. Earlier this year the same panel issued a preliminary ruling that California’s prisons are so overcrowded that they offer unconstitutionally poor levels of medical and mental healthcare for inmates. The preliminary ruling had mandated that the state reduce its prisoner population. The state made further arguments and tried to demonstrate that it was making a good-faith effort to improve prison conditions, and the ruling hadn’t been enforced.

California’s prisoner population has gone from around 30,000 in the late 1970s to around 170,000 today. These numbers grew because of laws like Three Strikes and You’re Out, mandatory minimum sentences for categories of drug offenders and a stringent parole system. Generally, over the last 15 years, the crime rate has dropped.

It is difficult to say if there will be a backlash from these released prisoners, but common sense say that drug dealing, violence, burglary, theft and even murder rates will increase. It is likely that California cities with large populations, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino will all see a rise in the crime rate because a majority of the prisoners will be released into their populations. However, it is also possible that small suburban cities such as Irvine, Anaheim and Santa Ana will be effected by the prison releases also.

The Los Angeles times wrote “The order cited Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s own words when he proclaimed a state of emergency in the corrections system in 2006 and warned of substantial risk to prison staff, inmates and the general public, saying ‘immediate action is necessary to prevent death and harm.’”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the judges believed “by changing parole practices and releasing some low-risk inmates to local custody, treatment programs or electronic monitoring, the prison population can be reduced ‘without a meaningful adverse impact on public safety,’”

PDF of Court Order

We now offer some exciting new products and services for home security systems in San Diego. One of the most practical products we offer are cellular back-ups, which can eliminate the need for a land line. For many of our customers, the only reason they have a land line anymore is because of their home security system. So, the cellular back-up works to save money by eliminating a monthly bill. There is, however, an investment in the equipment and installation. If you are interested in a free quote for a cellular back-up for your home security system, please call us today at (800) 577-2527.

Keep a look out for more security technology updates coming soon on our blog. We are always on the cutting edge of the security industry, and we take pride in this. It is always a good idea to call us if you are interested in learning about how we can improve your home security. One customer of ours dramatically improved their safety by adding a medical alert feature to their security system in a mobile home in San Diego.

Do you think a Security System is an important investment? Well, six out of every 10 employees stole company data when they left their job last year, said a study of US workers. Most American businesses fail to take important steps to prevent data theft (read our blog for a detailed article). This can be a frightening figure for any business owner or manager. Think about the damage an employee you have just laid-off or fired can do. But this can be prevented with a good security system.

Read the full Article : 6 of 10 ex-employees have stolen from your company

Two schools in Louisiana have been burglarized consecutively (full article). Twelve new 32-inch flat screen televisions awaiting installation in classrooms were stolen from a new building the night of June 5 by unknown individuals. In addition to the burglary of the new North Lewis Elementary, a closing elementary nearby was robbed of remaining copper. “It seems that every new school we open, prior to us getting the security system set in place, we get some kind of theft,” said the Superintendent.

The stolen equipment was intended for use by teachers in conjunction with computers in the classroom. “They’re used to project the computer images on a larger screen, for all the kids, and so the entire classroom can see,” he said. “These aren’t small monitors. They’re large 32-inch flat screens. It’s a shame that someone would do that to the students who need that equipment and we have to have it ready before the school opens in the fall.”

If the SAT Scores drop in that district in the next 5 years, we know who to blame.

The Department of Education in San Diego now says that the school board is nearing a balanced budget (read article). However, incidents like these in Louisiana are a reminder that security is an important safeguard. With a security system, schools are less reliant on sheriff departments to constantly patrol their grounds. Also, if you add up all of the potential for loss, a security system is a great bargain. We have customers with security systems who have saved tens of thousands a month from the constant, unmanned protection.

The original article included many honest, and sometimes funny comments. Here are a few of the best:

” Couldn’t delivery of expensive equipment be done AFTER the security systems are activated ? Perhaps this should become common practice in the future.”

” I would think that once any valuable piece of equipment would be placed inside the school, an alarm system would be activated. Especially, since they mention that it has happened before in some of the other new schools. How many things need to be stolen before our officials figure this out? I’m sure some of the older schools, the ones with all the obsolete techonology, would have loved 12 flat screen televisions. ”

” Shame on whomever took these monitors, because they took them in essence from the children for whom they were intended. … As for the possible culprits being bored students or constuction workers, I think it best not to accuse anyone until we have a real reason to do so. ”

” Sounds like the work crew know exactly where its at. But it will be replace its North Lewis, if it was another school they would have to see where they can get funds from to replace the stolen TVs. ”

Every Security System we install from San Diego to Riverside to Irvine is outfitted with a DMP Security Control Panel. Digital Monitoring Products, or DMP is a recognized leader in network and cellular alarm communications. We choose to partner with DMP for many reasons.

They are always improving their security technology,

Their equipment is easy to use and install, but still state-of-the-art functionally

Their equipment has the best and longest performance in the idustry

DMP offers software to communicate with their panels from offsite

These are just a few of the main reasons we choose to install DMP control panels and keypads. There are so many options we can offer our customers because we partner with DMP. A new and exciting feature is the ability to communicate an alarm over a home or business network (using the internet) rather than the old way through a land line. Also, the new ePad allows our customers to arm and disarm their system using a web interface from anywhere in the world. By far, however, the most important feature of a DMP Security control panel is that we can install security, fire alarm, and door access control equipment to it. The programming features allow for this integration, ahich is great for our customers because it saves them money, and allows us to be more competitive with companies offering sub-par alarm equipment.