City Life
Areas that have high levels of crime such as burglary, theft, and criminal damage are these days unfortunately commonplace and the statistics tend to get worse if you live in a city. This is obviously due to the higher population but in my opinion, there are many other factors to be considered when looking at this cold hard fact such as poverty, availability of work, education, and housing. But alas this is not a political or economic article, it is merely meant to give advice on how to improve the safety and security of your home without sticking out like a sore thumb.
Trip Wires
Protecting your home in these areas can be quite difficult and is definitely not straightforward. The aggressive technique can sometimes have a backfiring effect. Simply trying to improve security in the wrong way or as mentioned above, using aggressive techniques can make you the target of criminals or thieves who simply have too much time on their hands to test out your new 12 camera CCTV system and 10 feet proximity alarm with added tripwires. This is obviously stretching out an example of a paranoid setup but the point is to try and attain a balance between security needs and having a practical solution to securing your home.
BS3621 vs 5 Lever Locks
First of all, you should look at what you have mechanically first. Do you have 5 lever sash or deadlocks in your main exit doors? This is a requirement for most insurance companies but sometimes people overlook the BS3621 part of this area and just go ahead and get a 5 lever lock. The problem with this is that the non BS3621 models rarely come with the required extras to make this grade such as anti-drill plates, anti-pick curtains, minimum bolt throws of 20mm, and additional testing of the lock itself to make sure it makes the grade. This grading can be found by the BS3621 stamp found on the faceplate of the lock itself. Ensuring you adhere to the BS3621 will ensure that you are protected against these methods of entry and also a very subtle way of improving your security.
Windows
Windows come in a few different forms; the most common are sash and casement windows. One of the main forms of entry of a criminal is through the windows. Ensuring that you fit window locks is key to preventing this and also can provide some added benefits outside that. For Instance, fitting window restrictors can reduce the chance of someone opening the window from the outside but also will help if you have children around the home and need to secure a second-floor window. Window stops can also achieve the same effect while stopping the window from being completely open, leaving a gap of around a maximum of 4 inches would be sufficient.
CCTV
Having recorded images and videos of criminal activity can be extremely useful when it comes to the prosecution of criminals in court. What I would like to stress is not to overdo it. If you think this system would benefit you, time really should be spent on thinking about the area of installation, model, and components you will need. We recommend checking the IP rating and Lux rating of the CCTV camera to see how it will perform in rough weather conditions and during the nighttime hours. Placement of the camera should be out of sight from passersby but visible when close by if possible. Adding 1 or 2 pieces of CCTV signage will work wonders as a visual deterrent but please don’t overdo it as you will certainly bring attention to your home or business for the wrong reasons.
Access Control
These types are of systems are soon becoming commonplace and will replace older style mechanical locking solutions. At the moment we are in a bit of purgatory and manufacturers have been designed models to work standalone but also to work in conjunction with mechanical systems rather than straight-up replacements for front and back doors. We design a wide range of access control systems and our specialists speak to customers every day regarding this interesting type of security. In areas that tend to have higher crime rates, these models will, unfortunately, be less effective though and you are much better off relying on a high quality mechanical 5 lever lock to take care of your security unless you are looking to have them work in conjunction with each other in which case your security would be improved two-fold.
I hope this article has been of some use to you and hopefully gave you some ideas on how to improve your security. If you have any more questions feel free to contact us anytime via email, phone, or live chat.
Leigh Donoghue works for www.LocksOnline.co.uk , an online security retailer that secures our local community as well as anywhere in the world. They have a massive range of door locks, window locks, access control, and Ironmongery. If you would like some other forms of self Defense, try their passive alarms or just peruse their website. There is someone available to help Monday to Friday 9 am-5 pm GMT.