Keeping My Family Safe

 Caught On Tape

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) –Police there are looking for four guys caught casing cars over the weekend.  The home’s security camera caught them on tape and gave police clues to work with.

Police think the guys were trying to steal stuff from cars in the Indigo Lakes subdivision over the weekend.  Police say they were checking to see if cars were left unlocked.  They should have checked for cameras before they went into Bill Roberts’s driveway.

Roberts said two cars were parked in his driveway at 4:45 Friday morning.  The recorded images tell a chilling story.
 
A second suspect checked the other car. Both cars were locked, and eight home security cameras were locking in on four young men.  First, the cameras show a car driving near the house.  Then the cameras catch them walking into his driveway and checking cars.  Suddenly, one of them realizes there is a camera on the garage.  Finally, someone came up under the camera and ripped it right off the garage wall.

But the garage cam had already done its job and gave policed the clues they need to work this case.  Roberts says,

“What they didn’t realize I guess, was it was too late with the camera,” said Roberts.  “We already had them, the pictures of them.”

The four suspects are still on the loose.  Roberts says he will install a new garage cam this week that’s tougher to tamper with.

Police say last week, someone broke into a home in the same subdivision.  The person stole two thousand dollars in cash, a big screen television and other electronics.  Police are looking to see if the two cases could be connected.

By Keith Landry
FOX 35 NEWS

This is not a one time event. Home security cameras are being used to not only deter crime but also to collect and record evidence when a crime is comitted.

Without Breaking The Bank 

Cheap Home Security Cameras Provide Household Protection.
 
Homeowners don’t need to spend a fortune for home security cameras in order to have the protection they need. Cheap home security cameras will get the job done without breaking the bank.

For years we’ve seen news stories about convenience store robberies and seen the clips from the store security cameras. Although grainy, these images are often enough to result in the capture of the crooks. Usually someone sees the video and is able to identify the criminal. Once police know who committed the crime, it’s easy for them to apprehend them.

Even when faced with a broken camera, many crimes never take place, because there’s no way to tell that the camera doesn’t work. It isn’t the price you pay for the camera that keeps people safe; it’s the fact that they often deter crimes from happening in the first place.

4 percent through an unlocked entrance;

2 percent through a storage area;

and only 2 percent entered anywhere on the second floor.

A study in Connecticut showed that 12 percent of burglaries occurred through an UNLOCKED door and that in 41 percent of alarmed homes that were burglarized, the security system was not turned on.

* Lock your doors and windows.

* Alarms can often send the offender on their way.

* Try a hidden safe or two to hide your valluables. Different styles include can safes, candle safes, or mabey a hidden book safe.

* Have your self defense devices like pepper spray or stun guns in easy to get to places in your house. 

Burglary Facts and Statistics…

* Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters of all crime in the United States

* In 2005, law enforcement agencies reported an estimated 2,154,126 burglary offenses-a 0.5-percent increase compared with 2004 data.

* An examination of 5- and 10-year trends revealed a 1.8-percent increase in the number of burglaries compared with the 2001 estimate, and a 14.1-percent decline from the 1996 number.

* Burglary accounted for 21.2 percent of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2005. The average dollar loss per burglary offense in 2005 was $1,725.

* Of all burglary offenses in 2005, 65.8 percent were of residential structures.

* Most (62.4 percent) of residential burglaries in 2005 for which time of occurrence was known took place during the day, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

* Among burglaries of nonresidential structures when time of occurrence was known, 58.0 percent occurred at night.

* A burglary takes place in the U.S. every 14.6 seconds according to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program Crime Clock.

* According to the FBI Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January-June, 2006, “burglary offenses showed an increase, up 1.2 percent from the 2005 level.”

* Overall, in about 84% of all burglaries, the offender gained entry into the victim’s residence or other building on the property.

Source: Crime in the United States 2005 Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation Release Date: September 2006
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

Don’t wait untill you are a statistic!
Simple steps can help protect your valuables.

* Lock your doors and windows.
* Alarms set at doors and windows.
  (These can be simple and affordable.)
* Diversion safes such as a can safe or a hidden book safe to
   store money and jewelry.
* Be freinds with neighbors. Ask them to keep an eye on your house.
* Decoy or fake security cameras and/or signs or stickers
  giving the apperance of a security system.

Living in fear won’t help anyone, but taking a few extra precautions can make all the difference.
 

 Burglary Defined

What is considered a burglary…

Burglary is defined as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as a burglary. Burglary is categorized into three sub classifications: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report 2005

Protect your valuables in your home or office with a hidden safe. Try a can safe, a clock safe or even a hidden book safe.

 

Endorsed by Police  

Personal safety alarms are endorsed by Police and Security organizations around the world.

Investigations have shown that victims are usually too traumatized to shout for help in unfamiliar and dangerous situations, increasing their vulnerability.

Police Officers, Campus Safety and Security Consultants recommend the use of personal safety alarms. The high pitch alarm could scare off an assailant by surprising them, and will attract the attention of others in the area.

Criminals do not like to draw attention, and will likely run off when they realize the alarm cannot be stopped.

 

No Training Or Permits

The safest and most effective method of self protection.

Personal Safety Alarms -

*CANNOT be used against you like offensive weapons

* requires NO training or permits

*can be used by ANYONE regardless of physical condition or age.

Many people enjoy sports like hiking, running, or cycling, but these activities can leave you isolated and vulnerable. If you feel threatened or need emergency assistance, simply activate the alarm.

The piercing sound of a personal security alarm can even be used to ward off vicious dogs or wild animals.

Even On Airplanes 

Personal Safety Alarms are legal to carry everywhere (even on airplanes) and so simple to use. Protect yourself at school, in the workplace, and when travelling. Protect your loved ones. Personal safety alarms make great gifts for every one on your list, including the very young, and the very old.

Electronic alarms will not escalate an already dangerous situation and not every situation requires lethal force. Safety devices like personal safety alarms are a great first defense.

Carry a personal safety alarm with you wherever you go.

The Most Opportune Time

Burglary is something that all homeowners should be concerned with. According to authorities, every 8 seconds, another burglary is committed . Most burglaries occur during the day. This is when the flow of traffic is at the lowest. Most people are at work during the day and the children are at school. This is the most opportune time for a criminal to decide to enter your home. Having a personal safety alarm set in your home can often be all it takes to get rid of the offender. They would rather leave and find a quieter target than risk drawing attention to themselves and getting caught.

Small Steps For Safety

There was a time when you could deter intruders with a sign in the front yard “Beware of Dog”. Even people who did not have a dog put up a sign so the potential intruder would not take a chance by trying to break into the home. Now, an alarm that goes off at an intrusion attempt usually sends the unwanted ‘guest’ on his way before he has a chance to perform his illegal act. Try a personal safety alarm. There are many simple and affordable alarms for your home and person. Small steps for safety can make a big defference in the end.