Although we can't always believe all that the government tell us, their warning shortly before Christmas that crime rates would rise as unemployment escalates and personal incomes drop, are already showing signs of fulfillment.
History has shown us time and again through various economic recessions, that incidents of vandalism, burglary and theft increase as money becomes tighter and jobs become harder to find and less secure, whilst crimes of violence also tend to increase.
Violent crimes are often associated with attempts at material gain, i.e. robberies or intent to rob, although worry or frustration over job security (or lack of a job), spiralling debt and / or reducing income, etc. can in some, trigger violent reactions to the most trivial of incidents as behaviour becomes less rational.
Personal Safety
When it comes to personal safety and protection, basic common sense precautions designed to avoid putting youself in risk situations are a far better option than worrying about what would help you to get out of a sticky situation. Carrying a personal security alarm can offer a sense of comfort, especially on dark winter nights, but on their own, they won't make it safe to walk alone through deserted streets, and remember carrying any sort of weapon is not only illegal, but also pretty stupid as statistics show us that the chances of getting injured or worse increase dramatically if you do!
Today, the Conservative Party released figures (obtained from the police in England and Wales under the Freedom of Information Act) indicating that there were some 277 fatal stabbings in the UK within just 12 months (the highest figure for 30 years). The good news however, is that for most of the 60 million plus UK population, the chances of being the target of violent attack is statistically fairly remote for those living outside of a limited number of notorious inner city areas and employing basic common sense principles to their everyday lives.
Protecting your premises and valuables
When it comes to protecting your property and possessions however, we are all at much greater risk, especially where items that can easily be converted into cash are concerned (and there is a ready market for most things!). Fortunately there are now a wide range of proven, cost effective security products available to choose from that could help you to protect your premises and your valuables. Anti Climb perimeter security products, CCTV monitoring and recording systems, physical locks and lock down systems, all have a part to play, but which measures would be best for you?
When considering what security measures to introduce, a few basic considerations will ensure that you don't waste your money and that you get the best value security solution - that's the right one for you. Although these basics may sound obvious, based on over 20 years experience of advising clients on security matters, be assured, even very large companies get it wrong from time to time, so how much more at risk of wasting money on the wrong solution are the inexperienced without an army of employed security specialists to call on?
So what are these basic considerations?
1. Carry out a risk assessment (see below for details of how to obtain your free copy of the free Insight Security Risk Assessment Guide) - this will highlight the areas of greatest risk, in which your money will be best spent for maximum benefit.
2. Security measures implemented before you have become a victim are more likely to have been carefully considered and costed, than when you're faced with having to respond instantly to plug a hole after an incident. The immediacy of a Knee jerk response to plug a hole in the security system after an incident usually means that the most obvious (not necessarily the best) option is normally the one adopted. Not only is there less time to consider all the options, but the urgency of the situation often also leads to higher costs.
3. Locate and buy from a reputable, specialist security supplier who has a good track record and a reputation for delivering proven security products (they should also be happy to give impartial security advice without charging you for it and provide good after sales backup and support ...and be likely still to be in business a couple of years hence).
4. Keep your security solutions simple. The more complex the solution and its implementation, the more there is to go wrong - and the more chance there is of operator error.
5. Remember even Fort Knox is not impregnable - any security measure that can be conceived and implemented, could also be breached, given enough time, money, knowledge and resources. In practical terms, the most cost effective form of security will normally consist of a series of measures (each designed to delay and frustrate the potential criminal), implemented in a way that means they have to be tackled sequentially - the longer a thief is on site, the greater the risk of being detected and caught ...and easier pickings will look increasingly attractive!
6. Training: when you've implemented your new security measures, make sure that the relevant people (staff or family, etc) know about them, and where applicable how to use them properly. A high security lock is pointless if the key is left in it or hanging next to it, an alarm system that no one knows how to set or arm is unlikely to be very effective in the event of a break in. These may sound like daft examples of security failures, but they're drawn from a long list of real life instances!
Insight Security have been supplying best value, proven security solutions to domestic users as well as to organisations of all size throughgout the public and private sectors for 20 years, and have a well deserved reputation for providing practical no nonsense advice and excellent after sales support as well as delivering quality products on time.
To download your free Risk Assessment guide, visit;
http://www.insight-security.com/pdfs/Risk%20Assessment%20Guide%20(HK).pdf
for general advice and an "introduction to / overview of", a wide range of security products, visit;
http://www.insight-security.com
To buy proven security products - at on-line prices, visit;
http://www.insight-direct.co.uk
Insight Security - the UKs "One Stop Security Shop"