MIKROTEC SECURITY HELPFUL HINT
If you already have a Home Security System

Your security system is a proven deterrent to intruders. Studies have shown that homes without alarm systems are 2.2 times more likely to be burglarized than homes with alarm systems.
Source: The Greenwich Case: Securing Suburban Homes, Simon Hakim. Your alarm system will detect and report attempts to break into secured areas.

Your system warns of fire before you can see or smell it–giving you time to escape to safety.

Use your system to report medical emergencies–summon expert medical help at the press of a button.

If you don't already have a Home Security System

Pin windows and sliding doors so they are hard to open from the outside.

If something isn’t exactly right when you return home, don’t go inside. Go to a neighbor’s home for assistance. Risk embarrassment rather than endangering your life.

Meet your neighbors. Inform each other when workers are scheduled to be at your home so imposters can’t steal valuables. If your neighbor hasn’t informed you of the work to be done, call the police. Some victims of burglary have had their homes completely emptied by what appeared to be a moving company. The neighbors saw the truck arrive and watched the men empty the house. They didn’t call the police because they assumed the neighbor, whom they hardly knew, was moving.

In another case burglars gained entry into a home by cutting a three foot wide by seven foot high hole in the side of a house. When the neighbors were questioned by the police to determine what they may have heard or seen, they all acknowledged hearing the chain saw running, and assumed the neighbor was having work done on their home.

Make your home less attractive to burglars

Avoid landscaping that provides hiding places.

Keep doors locked–an obvious step that most victims have ignored.

Put away ladders or other objects that would assist a burglar in reaching an upper window.

Do you have a privacy fence? If someone got into your yard, would the fence provide the cover for the burglar while he breaks in?

Lights make a difference

When you’re away, put lights on a timer so they come on automatically at dusk, to create the impression that you’re home.

Light the exterior sides and back of your home to make hiding or entering undetected more difficult.

Daytime burglaries

Burglaries are more likely to occur between the hours of 9 AM and 3 PM in the afternoon when many neighborhoods are empty. The children are in school, adults are at work, shopping or involved in civic work. This is a perfect time for a burglar to go to work without being noticed. Don’t leave doors or windows unlocked, even when you leave the house to go next door, down the block or to the store for just a short time.

Consider changing fencing so one could be seen in the side yard. Shadow box fencing with larger spaces does a good job of keeping pets in while still providing some view of who is in the yard. Iron picket or wood picket fencing is better yet.

Your Home Security System is a proven deterrent

Train personnel on its proper operation.

Security systems reduce crime in commercial settings. Businesses and institutions without alarm systems are 4.5 times more likely to be burglarized than those that have an alarm system.
Source: Commercial Security: Burglary Patterns and Security Measures, Metrica, Inc.

Of all uncompleted burglaries, 74% can be credited to an audible alarm. Source: Securing Home and Business, Hakim and Blackstone. Your alarm system will detect and report attempts to break into secured areas.

Your system warns of fire before you can see or smell it–giving personnel time to escape to safety.

Use your system to report medical emergencies and reduce liability–summon expert medical help at the press of a button.

If you don't already have a Home Security System, CCTV, or access control

Make security a company benefit by promoting the value of vigilance.

Communicate routine practices for deliveries and shipments so personnel can recognize unusual behavior.

Discuss protocols for greeting visitors and exposing imposters.

Establish identification and badging procedures.

Establish security teams that have specific duties.

Make your facility a less attractive target for burglars and vandals

Light the entryways of your facility to make hiding or entering undetected more difficult.

Avoid landscaping that provides hiding places.

Keep doors and gates locked–an obvious step that most victims have ignored.

Put away ladders or other objects that would assist a burglar in reaching an upper window.

Do you have privacy fencing? If someone gets into your facility, would the fence provide cover for the thief while he breaks in?

Control Shrinkage

Employee theft may be the most critical threat to your operation. Provide access to assets on a need-only basis.

Establish layers of security: Secure portable items with locks and lock the rooms in which they are stored.