The topic have been dominating the news lately: police budgets cut. Huge cuts to funding and the number of officers on the streets of England and Wales, “would endanger the safety of the public,” as warned by Britain’s most senior police officer and commissioner of the Metropolitan police, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. He said: “We are having to face today’s and tomorrow’s challenges with resources going back to the 1970s. That’s when London had a population of around six million, today we are 8.6 million and we believe it will rise to about nine million in 2020.” He further states: “It will get pretty twitchy in terms of coverage of London. There would be less visibility. There would be less of it in the neighbourhoods and in our response section. There is no doubt that we would be slower.” With their forces reduced to 1980s-style policing, the police will respond to crises only, with heavy cuts to prevention and building relationships with communities.

With the pruning back of neighbourhood policing and proactive prevention work which stops crime levels rising, as well as the widespread concern over the changing face of policing, and discussions of an end of ‘bobbies on the beat’, it is uncertain how these changes will affect crime rates and investigations.

As such, high-ranking police officials are advising home and business owners to take personal steps to preventing crime.

Craig Mackay, Deputy Commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, recommended a move towards the public helping the police more, such as handing over CCTV footage from personal cameras to help with investigations. He said: “Getting people involved and the whole notion of people being active in crime prevention and crime detection work with us has got to be part of the future”.

Whatever happens, this is the best opportunity for homeowners to take responsibility by protecting their community and property. Indeed, although CCTV cameras can help a struggling police force, prevention is still better than cure. Installing the appropriate security measures than can act as an effective barrier against burglary and vandalism will be a first step to ensure opportunistic criminals are deterred.

The first and fundamental step to ensuring the safety of your homes is the installation of our security grilles, such as the RSG1000 and RSG1200 Collapsible Grilles. As for businesses, we have a range of roller shutters and steel security doors – Independently tested to the industry standard of PAS24, Secured by Design and the recognised LPS1175 ratings approved by the LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board).

Afterall, at RSG Security, we do not just aim at making Britain safer with our range of security products, but ultimately secure each and every homes and businesses in the capital with our London Installation Specialists.

Cosy blankets, soft socks, a good book…and a safe home is what you probably look forward to on those nights Jack Frost come visiting. Other creatures lurking in the shadows – criminals on the lookout – may be kept at bay with effective security products. Unfortunately, Old Man Winter neither dissuades those prowling criminals nor does it help homeowners find comfort. Of course, one of our best advice (no matter the season!) is making sure all your windows and doors are closed and locked to keep out Criminals and the Cold. Check out the following cold weather security tips to ensure your home is safe and warm this winter.

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When the TV ads start talking about stationeries and you feel you have barely managed to avoid the asylum as it is all over- you know then that the carefree children’s dreaded time has come-the end of the sweet summer holidays and Back to School! While your children have to worry about having to face the shrill Alarm Clock Monster daily and how horrible their handwriting got after long interminable weeks of all play and no work, you have another level of worry-the safety of your children. Of course, if the proper precautions such as those mentioned below are taken, accidents can definitely be avoided:

• An Agenda

Develop a family plan by going over everyone’s schedules or time tables and sticking memos on the fridge or wherever it is easily viewed by all family members, with additional information such as expected field days. Teach the children the basics of safety and dealing with threating situations, at school such as bullying or peer pressure and similar hazards to instigate self-confidence and to know the proper behaviour, as well as outside school.

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Although you will not be expected to build a fortification as colossal as The Wall like in the Game of Thrones, there are still some levels of security that you need to consider and implement to deter creatures, who are out there waiting for just the right occasion to infringe fearlessly and relentlessly. Ancient castles had multiple layers of defence, ensuring that if one barrier did not stop the enemy, another one would. Nowadays, you can equip your house with a solid umbrella of Security Systems, which will do more than just the basic functions:

• Protect you against criminals and natural calamities alike
• Come hand in hand with home automation systems
• Save you money that would otherwise be lost to opportunistic burglars and energy bills

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Living on your own does not have to be any more dangerous than other types of living situations. With some precautionary measures, you can ensure that even if you are alone at home, you will always be safer than houses.

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Home invasions can be far more traumatic than having intrusive Goldilocks eat your porridge, sit in your chair and sleep in your bed. Any unauthorized and forceful entry into a dwelling can make citizens feel unsafe- your house is your private sanctuary and having a stranger going through your stuff can make you feel violated, even if you do not confront the trespassers.

 
Home invasion differs from burglary in that its perpetrators have a violent intent apart from the unlawful entry itself, much the same way as aggravated robbery—personally taking from someone by force—is differentiated from mere larceny (theft alone).

“But the trouble is that this kind of burglary – the kind most likely to go “wrong” – is now the norm in Britain. In America, it’s called a “hot” burglary – a burglary that takes place when the homeowners are present – or a “home invasion”, which is a much more accurate term. Just over 10 per cent of US burglaries are “hot” burglaries, and in my part of the world it’s statistically insignificant: there is virtually zero chance of a New Hampshire home being broken into while the family are present. But in England and Wales it’s more than 50 per cent and climbing.” – An Englishman’s home is his dungeon by Mark Steyn

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Although homeowners may be taking the necessary preventive measures to protect their homes from criminals, most are unaware of the myths related to burglaries, which turn their measures to useless methods. When you know the facts, you can make sure that you can best protect yourself against a break in!

Myth 1: As it is often depicted in the movies, cartoons or video games, some people picture a sly black-clad burglar breaking a side or rear window and hopping into the home. Others envision thieves using complicated tools to pry open the garage door or finding a way into the basement.

Despite common perception, doors are actually the most common means of entry. 73% of burglars use doors, which are open in 3% of cases. It is even more surprising that burglars choose the front door over any other home door. In fact, 64% of householders also confessed to occasionally leaving doors unlocked whilst away from home and a further 37% whilst inside the home – even though statistics show that 22% of burglaries are carried out with the thief aware that the home was occupied.

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“Self-defence is Nature’s eldest law”, said John Dryden, and “men have the right of killing in self-defence”, according to Montesquieu.

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To keep the public in tune with the latest crime prevention, RSG shares security advice. Whatever those magpie-like burglars want to steal -be it an object, property, or even a valuable pet- is a target. Your mission is to follow fundamental principles rather than becoming a target/victim of crime.

1. Target hardening

Make targets more resistant to attack, or more difficult to remove or damage by implementing the following:

• Sturdy doors and windows
• Strong window and door locks including Combination Locks, as well as anti-theft devices or locks for your vehicles – which can even lower your car insurance premium
• Additional protective barriers, including screens, barbed wire fencing, security grilles and window bars, or shutters, such as roller shutters available at RSG
• Rule setting and Restricted access:
  • Signs prohibiting access to buildings or certain areas in buildings
  • Identity cards and ID badges
  • Entry card systems and phones
  • Baggage screening
  • Separate entries and exits
  • Requests to report to reception
  • Internal rules within businesses
  • Local by-laws, such as those limiting consumption of alcohol in public places
  • Laws enacted by Parliament

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Thieves earn their living round the clock. Afterall, you are always there to provide them with their treasure trove every single hour of the day, simply by being away from home. Around 1,700 people become the targets of pickpockets daily. Opportunist thieves and con artists are constantly on the look-out for any chance to steal your money and valuables while you are out shopping.

Similarly, you can easily turn into a victim while you are away from home, as your property becomes a target, too. You may be following a routine of picking the kids up from school at 2p.m. sharp everyday, without knowing that someone is slyly observing and waiting until you are away to have his plunder at 2p.m. Otherwise, you might be enjoying a vacation, particularly during school holidays, and thieves know this is a popular time for families to vacate their house (leaving behind ‘only’ most of their belongings!)- Indeed, your house turns into the favourite playground for burglars.

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