Domestic burglaries increased by 4% compared to the previous year’s figures, according to Home Office quarterly crime statistics for the quarter to September 2008.  This is the first significant rise for some years and the worsening economic conditions may result in a continuing upward trend for a time.

The general trend for domestic burglaries has been steadily falling since 1997, down by 55%.  How much is accountable to economic trends or to the impact of crime prevention measures by home owners is difficult to quantify.

There is undoubtedly a correlation between burglaries and recession, but just as at any time, sensible security measures will considerably reduce your chance of becoming a burglary victim.  Now is a good time for you to review your security, just to be sure you are fully protected.
We recommend contacting your local police who will provide you with impartial crime prevention advice.  Intruder alarms, and even CCTV in high value/higher risk properties, may be measures to consider.
However, you should ensure that any electronic security installation company you choose can prove they meet recognised industry standards by being approved by the National Security Inspectorate (NSI), the UK’s leading security inspectorate.

And be warned.  The any increase in burglary statistics will be gleefully exploited by unscrupulous security companies, painting a picture of doom to the unsuspecting householder.  However, you should be very wary of unregulated security companies playing heavily on these statistics and other negative reports in the press.

Good security companies will do no more than acknowledge official figures and not use them for pressure-selling their products.

So our advice is:

1. Obtain impartial advice as to which security measures will increase your properties protection.
2. Check with your insurance company who may give you a discount if you have a professionally-installed intruder alarm.
3. Contact and request quotes from at least three NSI approved installers that are currently identified on our website http://www.nsi.org.uk/.  Provide them with details of any insurer requirements.
4. Ensure each of these companies visits your property to conduct a risk assessment before submitting a quote.  Without doing this they cannot provide you with an accurate quote as each property’s risks are unique.
5. Do not rush into signing a contract.  Understand what you get for your money.  The cheapest deal may not always be the best.  Seek further advice if necessary.
6. When your alarm is installed, make sure your installation company provides you with a Certificate of Compliance which you made need as evidence for your insurer.
7. Take out a maintenance contract to ensure your system remains effective for years to come.  Without this, your system may degrade and fail you when it’s most needed.

Taken from the NSI website.

BT Redcare GSM uses the security of a BT land line with the added backup protection of a GSM radio path.
If either path is compromised, the other continues to monitor for further alarms and transmits them as ‘confirmed activations’ – extra confirmation that an intruder is on the premises and that the alarm is not false.

A ‘confirmed activation’ attracts immediate response from the Police and emergency services.

BT Redcare GSM secure dual path remote monitoring is recommended for commercial, industrial, retail and domestic premises needing the highest level of security.

BT has been a market leader for 20 years in the security market and is a leading supplier of alarm signalling services in the UK.

BT Redcare GSM conforms to the latest police policies (ACPO and ACPOS). It fully complies with British and European Standards for alarm signalling up to Grade 4, which is the highest level of protection on the market today.

Buying and installing BT Redcare GSM is straightforward – you simply need a BT telephone line. A check on the availability of a suitable GSM radio signal will be necessary and this will be carried out by Soundandsafe.com during your site survey.

Many assume that by having an alarm they are fully protected. An alarm system that looks modern with a company name on the bell will be a reasonable deterrant, but the truth of the matter is that unless it is being monitored, it may not be heard and can simply be ignored.

By law, alarm systems have to silence after 15 minutes, quite often they will not re-arm and may have been vandalised to prevent them from working properly.

ALARM TYPES

BELLS ONLY
The most common type of alarm is a bells only (Grade 2 X) and as the name suggests is an alarm which when activated just sounds a bell/siren for up to 15 minutes, in some cases it will re-arm and retrigger, but quite often will just silently flash a strobe and wait to be reset.

SPEECH DIALLER
A speech dialler is a “passive” device which connects to the alarm and a telephone line, at the same time the siren activates it makes a call and plays a recorded message to a predetermined list of numbers to alert them. A useful device as long as the telephone line is ok and not in use, the numbers are correct and the person notified can respond.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATOR
Digital communicator is where your alarm system is set up to send data to an alarm receiving centre (ARC) via a standard telephone line. When an alarm is triggered, the ARC receives notification and calls the relevant emergency service and or keyholders. A dedicated phone line is recommended, like the speech dialler if the call cannot be made then the alarm signals will not go through.

DUAL PATH SIGNALLING
Dual Path Monitored signalling is one of the most secure forms of alarm monitoring available, provided by CSL Dualcom and BT Redcare GSM. It uses two seperate communication paths (Landline and priority mobile network) and is capable of sending a ‘confirmed activation’ to ensure a response from the emergency services, even if the telephone line is cut or damaged. If either path is tampered with, or goes faulty, the ARC will be alerted and the relevant emergency services, or your authorised keyholder, will be called.

DualCom’s unique GradeShift® technology means that the hardware platform remains unchanged so that there is one common product across all security grades. The grade category is selectable through remote programming via the Alarm Receiving Centre or the Alarm Installer, meaning that all grades are quick and easy to install.

Simply order the G2, G3, G4 or the Fire version dependent on the grade you require. If for any reason your insurance specification increases or decreases there will be no need to install a new signalling unit – just contact your Alarm Receiving Centre or Soundandsafe.com and for a small charge the installation will be up or down graded. Meaning less engineer visits – saving you money.

This exciting combination of technologies is generating an enthusiastic response from our industry.

CSL designed DualCom GPRS/IP to satisfy the ever-growing demand for these technologies from the Retail sector in particular, where cost and performance are under constant scrutiny. If used, the IP path uses an TCP/IP connection to include compatibility with broadband / WAN / LAN. DualCom’s IP path can either replace the PSTN path or be used in addition, creating up to three diverse routes on alarm transmission.

In the event of an alarm, DualCom’s GPRS sends packets of data, via radio. The speed of transmission surpasses the older GSM technology, hence its suitability for sending alarm signals. Rather than having to ‘dial-up’ for a connection, GPRS systems are permanently switched on and transmit instantaneously. Another popular feature of GPRS is its low operating costs. A flat rate is charged per month to cover all calls made and monitoring.

* Two high-speed signalling paths
* IP compatible – just plug in and go
* No ARC chip programming required
* Next day Installation – no delayed administration
* Automatically locks into ARC – protects you from takeovers
* Insurance Approved – no extended liaison
* Low installation costs – Fit in less than 40 minutes
* 21CN Mode – protection against future upgrade disruption
* GEMINI CALLBACK® – we call the unit not your keyholders
* EN50131 Grades 2, 3 and 4 – GradeShift® between all grades

Protecting Commercial Business Premises as well as Retail and Domestic Home environments.
We offer Survey, Risk Assessment, Design, Installation, Commissioning, Maintenance, Takeover, Repair and Upgrade Services.

Our security systems include Central Station Remote Alarm Monitoring – with secure BT Redcare monitored line, Dual Path BT Redcare GSM & DualCom GSM / Dualcom GPRS and digital communicator.

Insurance approved, Police Recognised in a number of areas including Bedfordshire, Metropolitan, Hertfordshire, Thames Valley, Cambridgeshire.

NSI Nacoss Gold accredited.

ISO9001:2000 Quality Assured.