Once upon a time, if a family didn’t want anyone to know when they were away from home, they would simply tell a few people and set timers on lights inside the house. Today, it’s not so simple. A couple key strokes on a cell phone or keyboard informs an unknowable number of people of a family’s daily routine, weekend agenda or vacation plans.
Trolling public sources for burglary targets isn’t new. Burglars used to check newspapers for funeral or wedding announcements to find dates homes would be empty. Now, social media provides a rich resource for that information. With social sites like Facebook and Twitter and photo sharing sites like Flickr, people broadcast to the world when they are at soccer practice, where they’re going for dinner, detailed travel itineraries or pictures taken of the family at grandma’s house, Disneyland or a ski resort in Austria.
By applying caution and a little common sense, you can stay connected to friends and family through social media and still protect your home’s security.
The Basics
Most social network platforms offer privacy options allowing users to restrict access to posted information. However, often the default settings are open and few people set up the increased security settings. This privacy protection loophole is exacerbated by the social media companies’ frequent changes to their security policies.
• Never post any information or pictures you wouldn’t be okay with seeing posted on an interstate billboard. No matter how secure your privacy settings, if someone wants to get access to information on the Internet, hacking is possible.
• Take the time to activate the security settings and regularly review them. This is even more important now that Facebook and Twitter have opened the status updates of their members to Google’s real-time search.
• If your kids use social media, keep control of their security settings, know their “friends” and talk about safe online behavior.
Know your “friends” … and your friends’ friends
• If you post personal information on a social networking site, make certain you know and trust everyone who has access to it.
• Talk to your friends about their security settings. If Aunt Fran posts pictures and “tags” your family, you want to know who she allows to see that information.
• If a member of your family or a friend does post information that could be a security risk, ask them to remove it immediately.
While you are out
• Wait until you return from activities or vacations before posting information about it, including pictures. Pictures uploaded while on your dream vacation in Italy lets everyone know you’re far from home.
From Sonitrol Pacific Boise client Preferred Community Homes:
“Feb. 2, 2010
To Whom it may concern:
Sonitrol has asked that I share my experiences with you regarding their services. I would be pleased to. When I began working in the Meridian area, we chose Sonitrol for our security services. We loved working with them. I loved the monthly reports and access to data regarding the ins and outs of the building. In addition, the few times when the alarm was tripped, the response time was immediate. We utilized their services for several years until we changed locations.
At the time that we changed locations, we decided to go with another security company. This decision was solely based on price. After utilizing the other company for about a year and having issues in security, we decided to return to Sonitrol. Our current system with Sonitrol is much more advanced than our previous system. It provides additional security that we went without when using the other company.
We truly have enjoyed working with Sonitrol and are grateful we made the decision to return to their services. Regardless of the price point, their service is well work the additional cost.
Thank you,
Renee Naylor
Regional Representative
Preferred Community Homes”
Home and business owners have many options when it comes to securing a facility and choosing the “right” security company can be difficult.
The challenge is that “right” varies from facility to facility. Work works great in one application, may not be so great in another. The important thing is to do your homework, find a company focused on service and support, and one that installs custom designed systems.
During your research, here are a few questions you’ll want to investigate:
Ask where their monitoring center is located. Is it local? In the NW? In Texas?
Many security companies are downsizing and/or consolidating their monitoring centers.
Sonitrol Pacific is locally owned and operated.
Ask how they verify an alarm is valid.
Motion sensors and door contacts deliver great results in certain applications. However, the operator monitoring the account has no way of knowing what set off the motion sensor or door contact and no means to verify a valid alarm through technology.
Sonitrol Pacific uses audio sensors and monitored video to give our operators ears and eyes. This delivers 360 degree coverage and a means to verify alarms.
Ask the operator to account ratio.
It’s not unusual to find a central station that assigns one operator to watch over 10,000 customers or more.
Our operators monitor fewer than 2,000 customers each. This ensures our clients get the attention and focus they want.
Ask their average police response time.
Nationally, the average police response time to an unverified burglar alarm is a little over an hour.
Nationally, the average police response time to a Sonitrol audio detection is seven minutes.
Investigate their guarantees and warranties
Before signing any contract for security services, make sure it includes a 6-month money back guarantee, a full equipment and labor warranty, a one-hour emergency service guarantee, a false alarm fine guarantee (they pay the false alarm fines the city will charge), and a performance warranty (they pay you compensation if they miss a break-in). These guarantees are the only way to ensure you’re truly protected.
“Project Impact” is the Everett Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit and they are doing some impressive things. They’ve packaged a suite of tools to help home and business owners improve facility safety and security.
“The bad guys network and communicate more effectively and without restrictions,” said Crime Prevention Officer Aaron Snell. “We want to develop the program for the good guys.”
As part of accomplishing this goal, Everett Police partnered with marketing experts to create and promote crime prevention as a brand. They now have a collection of editable resources they give away to other police departments and anyone else who wants it.
“Steal it, put your logo on it, change the color. Use all of it or just parts of it. Whatever you want,” Snell said.
One of my favorite pieces is the “Business Watch Program Security Assessment.” This four page survey gives people a simple checklist to evaluate their current security by various criteria on a scale of 1 to 5 and find opportunities to improve it. Putting a priority on landscape, lighting and locks, the assessment focuses on natural surveillance, behavior deterrence and natural access control.
The survey first looks at landscaping. “Security starts at the curb,” Snell said. “What does the bad guy see?”
Next, consider lighting. Snell discussed the challenge of finding balance between “ID lighting and light pollution. You want lighting bright enough to be able to identify a trespasser or burglar, but not so invasive that it disturbs neighbors. He recommends lighting on a timer with motion sensors.
Then, turn a critical eye to locks and consult an expert if you’re unsure of the solidity or yours.
“We always recommend security systems designed for the specific needs of the homeowner or business,” Snell said. “If they’re determined to get in, they’ll get in. A security system can minimize the damage they do.”
Sonitrol Pacific is proud to have worked with the Everett Police Department for more than 30 years. They know the value of verified alarms and do a great job of catching the criminals we detect. We commend them on their crime prevention efforts.
“Project Impact is due to the vision and insight of Chief Scharff,” Snell said.
Jaime Maranville received the Employee of the Month award for December 2009 and the Employee of the Quarter award for the fourth quarter of 2009, Matt Moran received the Employee of the Year award, and Minta Christopherson received the “Peggy Carman” award for securing the most apprehensions in 2009 during a company-wide celebration January 25.
“Jaime is always pleasant and responsive to the needs of the Portland customer service staff,” said Barbara Hamlin, Portland Director of Customer Service. “We know we may rely upon her to get everything done correctly and on target. In fact, Jaime often inconveniences herself to over deliver to her internal and external customers.”
Jaime received $100 with her Employee of the Month award and $500 with her Employee of the Quarter award.
Matt Moran won the Employee of the Month award in May and was named the Employee of the Quarter for the second quarter of the year. Along with a plaque and certificate, Matt wins a trip to Memphis, Tenn. in March for himself and his wife to attend the SNDA annual convention and $500 in spending money. This is the second time Matt has won Employee of the Year. He previously received the award in 2006.
Minta Christopherson’s excellent skills at monitoring audio security technology led to the arrest of 43 suspects in 17 different incidents in 2009. Minta received $100 along with her award.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Department saw a rash of home and vehicle thefts over the weekend. They sent out these tips to help people prevent break-ins:
Home:
Leave blinds/curtains open.
Make your residence appear as if someone is home: leave a light or television on. (You can also use timers)
Make sure your residence is secured.
Inform a neighbor if you are going to be away for the night or longer.
If you have a monitored alarm system, make sure that the alarm company knows how to contact you. If your alarm is not monitored and is audible outside make sure your neighbors know how to contact you.
Make sure your vehicle is secure and all doors and windows are closed.
Vehicles:
Remember to ensure that all valuables are hidden and not easily visible
Do not leave purses, wallets, electronic devices, and valuable information in your vehicle.
Keep a record all serial and model numbers of electronic devices left in the vehicle. Often times, deputies locate items that they suspect may be stolen. They are however not able to confirm this because the victims had not record serial and model numbers.
The first thing all of our consultants do when a client or prospective client asks us about surveillance video is ask, “what do you want to see.” This “60 Minutes” report emphasizes what happens when the initial planning phase isn’t given the attention it requires in order for a security camera system to be effective.
As a locally owned and operated company, the Sonitrol Pacific team lives, works and plays in the communities we serve. The safety and security of our communities is of utmost importance to us.
In addition to providing security systems that actually catch criminals (to take them off the streets rather than just sounding an alarm that drives them from one business to another), we also actively support law enforcement officials in our communities and Crime Stoppers organizations.
Every quarter, Sonitrol Pacific donates to Crime Stoppers $100 for each incident at one of our protected sites that results in the arrest of suspected offenders. During the fourth quarter of 2009, 45 suspects were caught in 21 separate events. This means we’re donating $2,100 to Crime Stoppers organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
Here’s how this quarter’s donation was divided up:
Portland Branch – 2 incidents; Portland Metro Crime Stoppers – $200
Tacoma Branch – 6 incidents; Tacoma/Pierce County Crime Stoppers – $600
Seattle and Everett Branches – 13 incidents; Puget Sound Crime Stoppers – $1,300
We are grateful to the police departments and sheriff’s departments in our communities. We anticipate a long and effective partnership in catching bad guys.
