Why CCTV Alone is not Enough to Stop Crime

There are a lot of questions to unravel in this article, so let’s get straight down to it!

Additional Methods to Protect Your Home

In addition to CCTV, there are numerous systems out there to protect your home. These can either work in tandem with an installed CCTV system or alone. The more systems you have in place, the better protected your home will be, right?

So, what additional systems are available out there on the market right now?

Well, let’s start with:

Burglar Alarms

A classic home security system, burglar alarms have been on the market for decades now. In fact, if you have any home security measure in place already, it will almost certainly be in the form of a traditional alarm system.

So if they are so popular, and they have been around for so long – why is it that they are not the only home security system on the market? Why would people pay for more, when alarms seem to be everywhere already?

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How to Protect your Business from Burglary and Break-ins

At RE:SURE, our goal is to ensure our clients suffer no break-in and burglary-related issues at all costs. Therefore, it’s important for clients to enforce extra measures to safeguard their properties, alongside our remotely monitored CCTV system. While our system will be there whenever you need it to prevent crime – there are measures you can implement to deter burglars even further, and never even have them consider your home as a potential target. Some of these measures we recommend are listed below.

Remote CCTV Monitoring

RE:SURE is the company to turn to for your remote CCTV monitoring. Whether you are looking to protect your home, business premises or your own person while on the go, we have a service specifically tailored to your needs. What makes our services different is the fact that once you arm the system, and someone triggers it, our staff will be alerted immediately. They will be able to view the live feed coming from your cameras, challenge the intruder and let them know they are being watched, and if need be, alert the police, who will come at once. Our system does so much more than simply prevent burglary and break-ins, which is why we urge you to place your trust in us.

However, there are other things you can do to reduce the risk of burglary even further. Some of them include:

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How Does Remote CCTV Monitoring Work?

Are you planning to install CCTV cameras at your home or business premises? At RE:SURE, we offer remote CCTV monitoring that will help you prevent potential break-ins, ensuring you’re worry-free at all times.

If you’re already planning to install these cameras at your home or place of work, you’re probably wondering how they work. Below we explain in detail how the RE:SURE remote CCTV monitoring system can help you improve the safety of your home or office space.

Remote CCTV monitoring services

Overview

At RE:SURE, we offer three distinct services: RE:SURE Home CCTV monitoring, RE:SURE Business and RE:SURE Go, (a range of smartphone safety apps, a personal safety app, lone working apps, and a taxi driver app).

What makes us stand out in the overcrowded security market is the fact that our system is not there to record a crime taking place – it is there to prevent it.

Regular alarm systems may be loud, but they do nothing more than alert you or your neighbours that a break-in might be taking place. With so many false alarms going off every day, most people no longer mind them, and the chances of someone calling the police when an alarm is triggered are slim.

Even if the police do arrive – all they can do is investigate. Your valuables are already long gone.

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How to Really Secure Your Home against Burglars

Burglary and theft are nothing new. Since man first became civilized, he challenged the lives of other people at every step. No development in the economic set up of the nation can lower the level of crime.

In spite of so much improvement around, safety is still one of the most common issues we all face. With increasing complaints about theft and robbery threats, a range of security surveillance systems has entered the market. While some are extremely handy or beneficial, others often fail to serve their purpose.

If you think that you live in a crime-free and peaceful region, just stop and think again. Considering the unstable condition of the job market, the number of criminal activities can increase over time. Just because your neighbours are nice and hospitable doesn’t mean that you won’t experience any theft or vandalism.

The following is a good checklist to go through before leaving your home empty or for beefing up your protection against burglary.

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8 Simple security tips to protect your commercial property this winter.

No matter where you’re working this winter, there needs to be a clear security protocol in effect, one that all members of staff are extensively briefed on. This has to include even those who are not frequently working within the building; this means any extra temporary Christmas staff you might’ve hired to fulfill additional demands. The priority is to keep your employees and any valuable equipment safe from external threats. Having the right security measures in place will help to deter intruders as well as prevent a wide array of crimes – especially when coupled with advanced security measures such as CCTV monitoring response technology.

Here are some basic security measures that all commercial properties should consider to be the very minimum workplace security precautions they put in place this Christmas.

1. It goes without saying to always ensure that all of the doors and windows are locked before leaving or locking up the workplace, even so time and time again this has been the root cause of many a breached perimeter. Check them again in the morning to confirm they are all still securely locked and that nothing is missing. If a window/door is open that wasn’t the night before, it would be a good idea to check any security footage you might have for that time-frame.

Keep the exits and the entrances secure at all times of the day and night. Using a combination door is ideal for controlling who enters and exits the building. You can also issue key cards and keys or even an ID badge to make sure that only the regular staff are able to enter the building. If viable you can also have a reception staff that is set the task of tagging any visitors with a temporary ID badge and to sign in and out when they enter/exit the building, many buildings will simply use a paper format log sheet to keep tracks of comings and goings and that’s fine too.

2. Security is something that should be at the forefront of not just your mind but also your workers minds all times. Sufficient reminders/advertisements of protocol should be fitted in as many visible places as possible, as well as holding routine meetings when systems are updated or when there is an incident to identify the cause and prevent them happening again in the future.

3. Install an up-to-date security system that takes advantage of the most advanced crime prevention technology available today. A system with a built in alert directly to the police or a security response team is an ideal choice, this coupled with motion sensing closed circuit television is allowing many businesses to prevent crimes before they happen. Once movement is detected on your property an audio warning is played out loud, resulting in a very high success rate of scaring away any intruders. Here at RE:SURE we provide a very effective and reliable CCTV monitoring service that have prevented thousands of crimes from ever taking place.

4. Dark corners are breeding grounds for criminal activity, out of sight and out of mind does not apply when it comes to securing your business. Be sure that there is sufficient lighting in and around your place of work, leaving no blind spots for CCTV cameras. It makes it easier to be able to see who is at the door and help to discourage break-ins. A well lit property also provides extra safety to those who arrive early or who leave late. Motion activated lights are especially recommended as they startle intruders and often cause them to flee with a small secondary benefit of saving on energy costs due to their select usage.

5. If you don’t have a video system, get one installed. A closed circuit television system is a great way to keep track of who enters and exits the building. You can also use this in the hallways and in stairwells or wherever any valuable items or sensitive activity takes place. Take it a step further and upgrade your video system with motion detection technology, catching any movement on your property as it happens is a very effective form of crime prevention.

6. You should also ensure that any car parking area is kept under surveillance. Burglars are known to check all the doors in a car park and many companies suffer theft as parked vehicles are sitting ducks to any greedy ambitious hands. Consider CCTV camera’s or dummy camera’s as well as parking barriers, swinging gates and even posts. If you have perimeter security staff working for you then we recommend a member being stationed here

7. Remember that expensive technology is everywhere even what might seem like a very dull box with wires sticking out of it could be worth thousands of pounds. If possible record all the serial numbers of your equipment and tag the most expensive items, it can be very pricey if something is stolen or damaged. Be sure that you keep track of all personal documents and confidential files. For some high risk industries where staff anonymity is important, store names and addresses separately where possible and keep extra copies of important documents in safe places.

8. Sensitive information such as pass-codes for doors, windows, I.T systems etc. should only be permitted to specific employees and change it often for safety reasons; ex-employees should not be able to gain access to your property. Recommend your staff against recording them on pieces of paper which risk being lost and falling into the wrong hands.

This was just a a very basic list and there are many more ways to protect your property from the damages of criminal activity. If you would like to learn more about how to protect your livelihood, get in touch and a member of the RE:SURE team would be happy to advise you further.

Don’t ever leave anything to chance.

Mobile & remote access to CCTV monitoring systems (smart phones = smart security).

If you own a video security system, you probably know all about the convenience and functionality of using your mobile phone, tablet computer and laptop to access your system on the go via the use of applications. The great thing about today’s video security systems is that you can stream your video feeds at a 1080p resolution with a steady 30 fps on your gadgets from anywhere you want at any given time.

The most important aspect of any video management application is, of course, speedy and easy access; this will allow anyone involved in the security or management of a business or company to not have to worry about being out of reach or unable to see what their video security system is tracking. By having immediate access to any and all cameras in a moment, the most important locations such as the reception or front door, the main room and offices can be covered personally at all hours, no matter where you happen to be. With an effective video security system, personal safety is greatly increased, leading to happier and more productive work days.

Two of the essential areas that many, if not all, companies in the business of manufacturing security cameras focus on are, firstly, the Video Management System (VMS) itself, which records video feeds, manages the network of security cameras and is at the very centre of a successful video security system. Secondly, they focus on perfecting their mobile applications, which will allow you to instantly access any video feed you want to reach across any place covered by the system as well as being more precise in terms of time-frames, giving audio if available and capturing motion-tracking in the video recordings.

If you are using a device powered by Android or a device running Apple’s iOS, the option is there to monitor remotely a live feed from any NVR or DVR camera. You can even monitor directly from the IP. The quality of the feed depends on the speed of the upload connection wherever you are using your device; slower connections will result in reduced resolution and frame rate but if you were to manually reduce the resolution or frame rate to something more manageable, satisfactory results can still be achieved.

There are a few ways to maximise the benefits you can get from being able to configure your camera from any location, with one of the most useful ones being using cameras that can Pan, Tilt and Zoom (PTZ). With cameras such as these, you can choose one to focus on and zoom in up to 30x and control its movements; this is a definite advantage over using static or fixed cameras.

Overall, mobile devices such as phone, laptops and tablets are an essential part of having a powerful domestic or commercial video security system. Applications on these devices are very useful in monitoring the most important areas of your domestic or commercial property due to the freedom they allow you; you don’t have to sit staring at a computer screen 24 hours a day when you can simply check your device whenever you want.

RE:SURE Advanced Video Analytics in action

We prevent crimes before they happen and that’s the simple truth. This may sound like something out of a science fiction film but believe it or not the future of security is now and we’re leading the charge, offering peace of mind to both domestic and commercial properties across Ireland.

What makes things really easy for our marketing department is that we don’t have to hope potential clients believe in “too good to be true” claims of our effective security measures; we have real world audiovisual proof that our technology saves you a fortune on costly criminal activities so many homes and businesses fall victim to.

The video below show cases how RE:SURE protects your premises when you are not there, stopping crime from happening in the first place. We use smart cameras to detect intruders the moment they step foot onto your property.

This means we give you all the services of a security guard for a fraction of the price; check out the video below to see a few examples of how well our smart cameras detect intruders.

Check out the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tygBn9NLoJk

Re-evaluating your risk profile.

The recently terminated “Graham Dwyer” case brought to light a big problem about which most Irish employers have been burying their head in the sand. Namely, it is regarding how, as an employer, you could be inadvertently sending one of your employees into a situation much more fraught with risk is often appreciated.

It came out in the trial that Mr Dwyer had planned to set up a fake viewing with a young auctioneer in South Dublin. Horrendously he had planned to rape and kill the person in question. Thankfully, it never came to pass. But it could have.

Even in Ireland, showing complete strangers around empty and sometimes secluded properties on a daily basis, does pose an element of risk that most people reguarly take for granted. Estate agents need to start evaluating what kind of levels of risk that they are exposing themselves to. Albeit way back in the eighties, the terribly sad case of Suzy Lamplugh is a prime historical example of why estate agents are at a high risk factor in their work line. Suzy went to show a property in the south of England, and never returned.

Some of the basic questions that should be asked as part of having a thorough lone worker policy are: Do your colleagues know where you are going? Do they know who you are showing the property to? Do they know what time you will be back? Will they remember if you don’t return on time. How well do you know the potential buyer? Have you conducted a vet on them? More often than not, these answers will be negative…

There are a number of precautions that should always be taken in order to minimise the risk exposure. For example, let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to be back. Ideally, have a list available of all the people that you are planning to show around the property.

However, we all know that with the seemingly relentless pace of life these days, it is hard to remember to do all these things and to have a third party to remember to check if everything is okay with you if you do not arrive back on schedule. In short, people are getting on with their lives and no one is perfect.

Here is a recent article from Evoke.ie that demonstrates how RE:SURE GO could form a thorough part of your company’s lone working policy.

http://www.evoke.ie/news/lone-worker-fears-after-graham-dwyer-estate-agent-plot/

RE:SURE Home – “OBSOLETE” HOME ALARMS IN FIRING LINE…

 With more than €35 million worth of property stolen from Irish households between July 2013 and July 2014 according to research from The Garda National Crime Prevention Unit *1, the traditional home alarm could become a thing of the past following the introduction of a new home security product called RE:SURE Home from Irish firm RE:SURE that’s set to completely change the way we think about home security.

According to Emmet Hogan of RE:SURE; “RE:SURE Home uses smart cameras to provide a new level of protection that prevents break-ins from happening by intervening directly, with a live audio challenge, the moment an intruder steps foot on your property. Importantly, this avoids the emotional and financial cost that’s the collateral damage from intrusion into your home space.

“Standard alarm technology has two fundamental flaws. Firstly, it only alarms once the person is inside or on their way into your home. Secondly, burglars are more fearless and calculating these days and know that they have a window of opportunity before any response is likely.

“It comes down to a simple choice really. Do you want a typical home alarm that tells you that you’re being burgled when you can do nothing about it and your prized valuables and sentimental items are being stolen OR one that prevents the theft happening in the first place?

How it Works – 24 hour monitoring

Unlike the typical alarm where there’s window contacts, internal sensors, panic button ( and sometimes even invasive cameras that monitor and record your movements within your own house) RE:SURE Home CCTV monitoring takes the job of protecting your house outside, using what’s been described as an Intelligent Protection System (IPS). This effectively acts as a monitored virtual perimeter around the grounds of your home.

RE:SURE uses the latest generation of detection technology in the form of discreetly placed Smart Cameras that provide a 360 degree view of the outside of the house, detecting any activity on your home’s grounds. Whatever the smart cameras can see the RE:SURE Home can detect.

If RE:SURE detects the intruder entering the grounds of your home, fully trained security Operatives based at the firm’s 24 hour purpose built Control Centre are immediately alerted and will access live footage of your house.

The Operatives will command the intruder to leave using a speaker system (installed as part of the package) whilst observing them live on screen and issuing continual live warnings; ensuring the intruder flees before attempting to get inside your home before any damage or theft occurs.

Since the intruder has been caught before they have even begun, they flee the premises before any damage or theft can take place. The homeowner is contacted when a real event occurs and the Gardai are also immediately informed.

“Brazen Burglars”

John MacMahon, Hogan’s business partner, added: “We examined our own intruder alarm statistics with the national figures and realised that we were seeing a rise in the percentage of burglars were simply more brazen than before – they know there is an alarm, but also know that they can be in and out before any real response will occur.”

We thought there must be a better way and wanted a system that detects the criminals before they ever got near your home and allowed us to intervene immediately, then that window of opportunity will be slammed shut. Our instant, preventative response is better and more effective. We see it as the evolution of home security.”

Installation of RE:SURE Home is designed to be fuss free and typically takes about a day to complete. For those that already have CCTV installed it’s even better; any existing CCTV system can be easily upgraded to a RE:SURE Home system.

The company reports strong demand for their new product nationwide, particularly in Dublin, Belfast and larger isolated homes in the countryside. Each home is assessed on an individual basis dependent on size and need. Costs include an installation charge and monthly monitoring fee.

Hogan added: “RE:SURE Home, offers the newest, most advanced protection system for your home, delivering a preventative security solution that’s built for purpose in 2015.  Yes, it’s an investment but what price do you put on your peace of mind and knowing that you’re protecting your family and possessions with the very best product that’s available?”

According to research from The Garda National Crime Prevention Unit, over €35 million worth of property was stolen from Irish homes in the past year between July 2013 and July 2014

Of that, Jewellery made up to 40% of all stolen property and represented a value of €14.2 million with €7.2 million taken in cash.  Cars were also a major focus for thieves.

Analysis from Gardaí shows that the most common point of entry for burglars is the front door (29%), a rear window (26%), and a rear door (22%).  In addition 20% of households are entered by burglars through an unsecured door or window.

One of the most regular pieces of advice to householders from the Police s is to have your house alarm on – even when you’re in.  That’s not an issue with the RE:SURE HOME security product as it’s fully operational and monitored 24 hours a day.