Security and Alarm Systems Blog

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.

There were 38,000 larceny theft cases in 2008, making it the most popular crime by far. Burglary was also very common, there were 16,000 burglaries in Los Angeles County in 2008.

Burglary, Robbery, and Theft can all be prevented with a well-designed security system. We offer installation services for burglar alarms, fire alarms, security cameras, and door access control. All of these electronic security systems can decrease the possibility of theft in your home or business.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow told fellow judges Saturday that she believes that a home security system could have helped prevent the murder of her Mother and Husband two years ago.

A Chicago Judge’s Mother and Husband were shot by angry litigant, and she has become an advocate for judges having home security systems installed. “We just didn’t do it,” she said. She said judges must make up their minds that “for the sake of my family, for the sake of myself, I just have to do it.”

The overall lesson of this story is how important a home security system can be. Generally, the larger your house the more expensive the security system, but it is still a measure that can prevent a lifetime of regret. Judges, who have taken great monetary sacrifices, are entitled to federally funded protection because they are in harms way by the nature of their job. I just hope that the other 30% take Lefkow’s advice and get a home security system really soon.

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A man was shot about 100 yards from our office. There’s a park across the street where kids play and gang members sometimes hang out. Everyone was working as usual when we heard 3 gunshots. I saw the man laying on the ground, but didn’t think anything of it because there’s usually people laying down on the grass. Then I was one of our neighbors running to him, and I knew this was bad.

A bullet was found in the doorway 3 doors down! Looking at the trajectory, it must have shot straight over Shaunde’s car, gotten slowed down in a tree, and finally hit a storm drain and ricocheted around a sheltered doorway.

The Police were here quick, and they stuck around for hours. One of the investigators noticed our CCTV system, and asked to see the footage, but unfortunately we were in the middle of switching out a DVR, and the Cameras were turned off. It happened too far to see anything clearly anyways, but it would have helped some. We definitely feel bad, its not every day your surveillance system cameras are pointed at an attempted murder.

I read that the man lived, and is going to be OK, and The police arrested a gang member shortly after the shooting.