Author Archives: Alastair

Police Cuts

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Teams such as the surveillance, child protection and burglary squads are being broke up to place police officers in other areas of the front line due to the cuts faced by the police force.

Police officers are being moved from these squads to fill gaps in the front line so people like you and me still see the same amount of Police officers on our streets, accompanied by more PCSO’s (Police Crime Support Officers) on a day to day basis. However, the teams we do not see from day to day are the ones which target specific crimes and these are being reduced in size or broke up completely.

I believe this is undoubtedly going to lead to far less arrests, meaning more crimes will go unpunished.

Is there anything we can do about these cuts? I doubt it. I think the decision has already been made and the only way a back track will be made is if crime figures are shown to go up in the next few years.

I think all we can do is to keep a closer eye on what is going on in our neighbourhood and if something suspicious occurs to report it to the police by phoning 101 or if it is an emergency 999. Joining a neighbourhood watch scheme is another good idea for many neighbourhoods who are not already members as this will help to reduce the threat of crime.

Home security – Our Top 10 Tips

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Follow these simple tips and you will have a much more secure property and one that should deter all but the most determined intruders!

- Lock doors and windows – Keeping your doors and windows locked will limit the chances of an opportunistic thief from entering your home. It also means that anyone who is trying to break in to your home will make noise by breaking glass or locks which will attract attention from passersby.

- Make you home look lived in when you are on holiday – Ask a neighbour to pick up your post instead of leaving it to pile up behind front doors with glass panels. Also ask them if they wouldn’t mind cutting your front lawn if you are away for long periods of time. 

- Fit a burglar alarm – The sight of a visible burglar alarm is usually enough to deter most intruders, but if someone does break in to your home an alarm will sound a loud siren attracting the attention of passersby. Some alarm systems will even contact the police as soon as the alarm is triggered.

- Secure your ladders – Don’t leave ladders loose in your garden. Put yours away in a locked shed or if you have to leave one outside, lock it to a wall to stop it being used to gain access to either yours or neighbours upper floors.

- Fit security lighting – Intruders will try to break in to properties under the cover of darkness to reduce the chance of being seen. However, security lights will illuminate both the intruder and your grounds automatically when the intruder is detected.

- Never leave a spare key under a plant pot – This is the first place an intruder will look. Ask a neighbour or relative to keep a spare key for you.

- Lock power tools away – Power tools can be very expensive. Securely lock power tools in cupboards and chain your lawn mower to a solid, immovable object such as a wall or concrete floor of you shed or garage. Painting your postcode in a visible place on the tools will prove to be a great deterrent.

- Keep you bicycles locked – Keep your bicycles in a locked shed or garage. Locking bicycles together or better still, to a wall will reduce the chance of them being stolen.

- Mark your possessions with your postcode – Write you postcode and house number on items such as TV’s and DVD players with special UV pens which are invisible to the naked eye, but can help to return your property if recovered by the police by using a blacklight lamp.

- Think like a burglar – Put yourself in a burglars shoes and walk around the outside of your home. Are expensive electrical items visible to you from the pavement? Are there any open / part open windows especially on the ground floor? Are the doors locked? Do the doors and windows look secure? Are there any security devices such as a burglar alarm, cctv cameras, security lights etc? Is there a guard dog? Are there any security warning signs? Are the gates to your back garden laocked? Are there large bushes where you can hide? Doing this will help you to keep your property secure.

Astron64 Solar Security Light

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The Astron64 solar security light boasts great features and versatility over other security lights so we thought we would take a more detailed look at what makes this light so great. 

Brightness

The common misconception of solar powered outdoor lights is that they do not produce a bright light, and if they did the spread of light would be poor and the number of activations a security light would be able to achieve each night would be few.

The range of Evo security lights has changed the way solar powered security lighting is perceived. The Evos are not only very bright, but they can activate consistently many times per night which gives the user piece of mind that their property will be protected all night.

This technology has been transferred to the Astron64 security floodlight, which is the brightest light in our range. It uses 64 super bright LED’s making it as bright as a 150 watt halogen floodlight, and its internal Lithium Ion battery is capable of storing enough solar energy to allow up to 100 one minute activations of the light once fully charged.

Versatility

In most cases, mains powered security lights have no limit to the number of times they can activate per night. However over time bulbs can stop working and because they need to be connected to your property’s power supply they cannot always be mounted exactly where you want them.

The Astron64 solar security light takes the versatility of the already great Evo range and expands on it. It produces its own power by converting energy from the sun into electrical energy which is stored in its internal battery, therefore it is possible to fit the security light almost anywhere you like without the need of an electricity supply. The only requirement is that the separate 2.5watt solar panel has a direct line of sight to the sun (i.e. as south facing as possible and away from any shadows cast by trees or buildings). The solar panel can be fitted up to 5m away from the light to give you great flexibility. As well as this, the Astron uses a remote PIR (motion sensor) allowing you to mount it between 20-120cm away from the light unit. This makes the Astron64 perfect for lighting up dark areas before an intruder has any chance of getting near your shed, garage or house. The PIR is fully adjustable to allow you to aim it exactly where you want.

On the underside of the PIR there are three dials which allow you to adjust exactly how dark it is before the light will come on, how long the light will stay on for (between 5-60 seconds) and the sensitivity of the motion sensor.

The Astron64 is a motion sensored security light, but it can also stay on constantly for up to 1 hour and 20 minutes when fully charged if the PIR is disconnected.

Looks

Not only is this a very functional security light, but its use of aluminium and glass make it look modern, especially when you compare it with other solar and mains powered floodlights currently available on the market.

Furthermore, the smooth glass on the front of the light and solar panel make it easy to wipe clean, allowing it to look great and work at its full potential.

How waterproof is the Astron64?

Unlike the water resistant Evo security lights, the Astron64 Solar Floodlight is IP56 rated making it the most waterproof light yet. IP56 means the Astron is protected against dust and strong jets of water e.g. for use on shipdecks. Therefore you can happily mount it in exposed areas such as on a wall at the end of your garden, driveway or in a field – perfect for farmers and people with large gardens where there is no electricity supply.

The Astron64 in summary:

  • Free to run
  • Easy DIY installation
  • Very versatile
  • Super bright
  • Maintenance free
  • Looks stylish
  • Waterproof
  • Works all year round
  • Illuminates up to 500 times per night
  • Never change a bulb again

Spring Clean

Posted on by Alastair
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Ok, so it may be raining across most of the UK right now, but it’s that time of year to get out your feather dusters, detergent & mops and begin a spring clean of your home.

It makes us feel good to clean our homes after the long dark winter. To wipe away the winter blues. Open the windows and let the fresh air flow into the house.

But be careful not to leave open windows unattended, especially on the ground floor as these can be an invitation to any opportunist intruder who may be passing by and always remember to lock your windows once you have closed them.

Don’t get caught out. Feel good about your clean home.

Top 5 Targets

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1 Portable computers

I-Pads, tablets and laptops are a highly sought after by thieves due to their size, weight & portability and because of their popularity they can be sold on easily for a good price. You should always keep these items well hidden when your home is empty to reduce the risk of a thief stealing them if your home is broken into. Use a UV pen to write your name and postcode on them, add login passwords your gadgets and register them with www.immobilise.com. Be sure to add your serial numbers to this site. This way, if they are stolen and recovered by the Police there is a much higher chance of getting them back.

2 Smart phones

Smart phones, like I-pads and tablets are extremely portable which makes them easy for somebody to steal. However unlike I-pads there is the possibility of becoming a victim of theft when you are out and about. Reduce this by keeping your phone out of sight as much as possible, keeping to well lit, public paths at night. Again, add smart phones and any other type of mobile phone to the immobilise website. You can find the serial number of your phone by pressing *#06#.

3 Money and jewellery

Jewellery is usually of high value and can easily be pawned quickly and without question. Plus it is easy to put in a coat pocket, meaning a thief can walk down the street without anybody knowing they have stolen goods in their possession.

Money is the best thing any thief could wish to steal as there is pretty much no risk of being caught with stolen money as it is not identifiable to a single person. However, if you keep money at home keep a copy of the individual serial numbers of each bank note, so if your money is stolen and the Police arrest someone with your stolen money it can be linked directly back to you.

Another way to reduce the chances of your jewellery or money from being stolen is to securely fit a safe in your home. These can cost as little as £30 and will keep your belongings secure.

4 Bicycles

Thieves have been known to steal bicycles in broad daylight. Most of the times bikes are stolen by opportunistic thieves so always use a secure lock (or locks) to secure your bike to an immovable object whenever you leave it. Bikes are stolen because they are easy to steal, easy to sell and provide the thief with a mode of transport on which to vacate the scene of the crime. Mark your bike with a UV pen or have your postcode stamped into it. Remember that you can add your bikes unique frame number along with pictures of your bike to immobilise.com. Read our blog and watch a video about bicycle security.

5 Home entertainment

Home entertainment systems are expensive, light weight and can be found in most homes around the UK. Therefore any thief who can get their hands on your flat screen 3D TV or DVD player can make some easy money by selling it on quickly at the pub. Write your name and postcode on all of these items and add pictures and the serial numbers to the Immobilise website.

1 Burglary Every 40 Seconds!

Posted on by Alastair
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Some great new information about UK burglaries has been released by Tesco. It has been compiled to help Tesco insurance work out where the high risk areas in the UK are so they can issue insurance quotes accordingly.

The information shows there is a burglary every 40 seconds in the UK, that lone parent households are twice as likely to be targeted and that 44% of burglaries take place during broad day light.

As you can see it also highlights the areas of the UK which are most affected and what is most likely to be stolen if you are burgled.

Take a look at the graphic to find out more.

Burglary Infographic by Tesco Compare

Visit Tesco Compare now, to compare Home Insurance

Evo36 Security Light – Our Best Seller

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Security Lighting Will Deter Burglars

Motion sensitive security lighting is a great way to protect your home from potential intruders. It is an unobtrusive form of security and once you have fitted a security floodlight to your property there is very little you have to do to maintain it.

Two main types of motion activated security floodlight are available. The first and most commonly used type is powered by mains electricity of your home or office. These usually use a halogen bulb which can be very bright depending on the wattage you choose and the most common type allows you to tilt the light up and down. These lights have been around for years and are found on millions of homes around the world.

The other type of security floodlight is powered by the sun. Solar powered security lights are becoming ever more popular due to their brightness, ease of use, ease of installation and convenience. Our best selling solar powered security light is the Evo36. The Evo36 looks very similar to other mains electricity powered floodlights, but instead of using a mains electricity source from your home, office or garage to power it at night, it uses a solar panel to convert the sun’s energy into electricity which charges the internal batteries during the day allowing the light to work at night.

Unsurprisingly the charge of these batteries wouldn’t be enough to illuminate a halogen bulb for very long. So how can these types of light illuminate many times each night with almost the same intensity as a regular halogen light bulb? Well, instead of using a power hungry halogen bulb, the Evo36 uses 36 super bright LED’s which consume very little power but can be almost as intense as a 150W mains powered light. This allows small batteries to be used therefore making the Evo a very compact floodlight. The Evo36 will happily illuminate its surroundings up to 30m (100ft) away and can detect motion with its built-in, fully adjustable PIR (Passive Infra Red) sensor up to 12m (39ft) away, shining a light on possible intruders well before they reach your doors or windows.

The Evo security light range comes complete with a 2W solar panel which has been specifically designed to charge the relatively small internal batteries during a typical day in the UK all year round. They have even been designed with an integrated mounting panel which makes for simple fitting and full adjustment of the angle of the solar panel, allowing you to tilt it to capture as much sunlight as possible. Ideally the solar panel should be positioned so that it is facing south and is free from any obstruction between it and the sun. As this may not always be possible to do on all homes, it is also powerful enough to work on east and west facing walls under normal operating conditions. However if your light is used often, you may need extra power. This is where the Evo security light excels over other security lights. A second 2W solar panel can easily be added, giving you double the amount of power to help fully charge those batteries throughout the shorter winter days.

The best bit about the Evo36 over mains powered security lights has to be its ease of installation. No mains electricity is needed which means that anybody can fit one of these security lights almost anywhere, allowing you to protect every inch of your property, even the hard to reach areas.  Furthermore, as you don’t have to mess about with electricity there is no chance of wiring it up incorrectly, or even worse electrocuting yourself! It can be fitted on a fence at the bottom of your garden quickly and easily. Why not fit one to your shed, outbuilding or even your horse stable?

To fit this security light all you have to do is find a suitable location for the light and the solar panel. Fix the security light to the surface of your choice with the fixings included and angle the light and the PIR sensor to suit. Then fix and angle the solar panel in such a position as to maximise the amount of sunlight it may get. Then all that is left to do is to plug it into the back of the light unit. The solar panel comes complete with 5m of cable which is long enough for most installations, but should you need to extend it a 3m extension cable is available allowing you to fit the light and the solar panel in two separate locations. It really couldn’t be easier.

Order yours today and fit it within an hour of it arriving at your doorstep!

Thefts From Police

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It seems like even the people who try to protect us from the threat of burglaries are becoming victims themselves. It has been revealed that the Police have been targeted countless times by thieves over the past five years.

Items such as handcuffs, warrant cards, uniforms and equipment such as speed guns, breathalysers, riot shields and even a red “door whammer” have been pinched from under the noses of our great British police force.

Other items which have gone missing include CCTV footage along with a TV from West Oxfordshire Police, £48 tea float from Pontefract Police station, crumpets from Priory Road Police station in Hull and even 20 toilet rolls from West Mercia Police.

Over these past 5 years many thousands of pounds worth of goods have seeming gone missing. The force which has racked up the most amount of losses was Greater Manchester totalling more than a staggering £86,000.

And what was the largest, most expensive item stolen from the Police? It takes some guts, but in 2008 a thief managed to steal a patrol car from a Police station in Northumberland. That’s right; a £12,000 Police patrol car was taken from outside the station and later found crashed.

Although this was a particularly large item to steal, most were smaller, low value goods which could be stolen by opportunists thieves who would take advantage of belongings and goods which were unattended.

If there was ever a reason to keep your belongings secure when they are unattended, this is it. There are too many opportunist thieves around who have no fear of the law to keep your possesions unsecured.

Old Siren Boxes

Posted on by Alastair
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I was chatting with somebody today who brought up a very interesting point about burglar alarm siren boxes which I thought I would share with you.

We were talking about how siren boxes can give a false impression to potential intruders. This may sound a little strange, but it becomes somewhat clearer when you think about old burglar alarms.

When a burglar alarm siren box looks old, faded and dirty it may look unused or even too old to work even though the home or business owner uses it without fail every day.

If a burglar sees an old alarm siren they may assume the property is no longer armed and be tempted to break in. If they do, the alarm will sound and they will no doubt make a run for it. Although nothing has been stolen there will be damage from the break in which will need to be fixed.

All this for the sake of not replacing an old looking siren with a new one. It makes you think doesn’t it?

False Alarms

Posted on by Alastair
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Everyone who has a burglar alarm has done it at least once. Accidentally set it off.

It’s easily done, from not inputting the code correctly or quick enough to forgetting the alarm is armed and opening an armed door.

This can alert neighbours, passersby or the police if they are in the immediate area or if the alarm automatically notifies the police if it is triggered.

Sometimes the smallest thing such as a book falling over or paper falling off a table can be enough to trigger the alarm even when the house is empty. These false alarms can make neighbours less alert to a real break-in so take a little time to try to eliminate them.

Christmas time is an especially important time to think about possible false alarms as there are many decorations, ball-balls and Christmas cards which are prone to falling down and creating a false alarm possibly wasting police time and causing your neighbours to ignore your burglar alarm sounding in the future.

Ensure all your Christmas decorations are fitted securely to eliminate any chance of a false alarm.