3 reasons why you should hire an alarm company

Maybe you've had the horrible experience of being involved in a home robbery, or perhaps your family and friends have told you about how terrifying it can be. Some of us can barely sleep at night because of the anxiety of one actually happening can cause. Whatever the case may be, choosing a home security company can provide you with complete peace of mind.

1. Preventative Measures
Even if you take all the precautions in the world, a break still could happen. However there is a way to avoid it, by having services from SIS – Security &Investigation Services, you can significantly lower the risk. When criminals are scanning for a house to break into, they are often looking for easy access. If you have an alarm system, they will steer clear of your home knowing that if they break in it will cause trouble. Make sure you have stickers and signs on your windows and in your yard so people know of the system that you have.

 2. Watching When You’re Away
Depending on the features that you have with your systems, you may be able to monitor your property when you are away from home. You can tap into cameras that let you know what is going on inside and outside your house. By doing this, you can see in advance if trouble is brewing and alert the police or proper authorities.

3. Individualised Plans for you
On top of having an alarm system, you can also personlise the system to your specific needs. For example, you might want to add a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector onto your system. Even if you already have these features in your home, you can have them connected to the alarm system for even more protection. Make sure to work with the service professionals so they can help you determine the right plan for your home.

Keep these reasons in mind next time you tell yourself you don’t need an alarm system, it is best to install a home alarm system as soon as possible to avoid being involved in a home break-in  or any other traumatic event.

For all your home security needs, contact SIS - Security & Investigation Services. They can supply you with anything from general guarding and farm protection to CCTV off site and alarm monitoring.

Written By: Christine Romans

Easy ways to make a safer community

I know that being best buddies with your neighbour isn’t the most enjoyable thing to do, they could become really nosy and end up annoying you, but one of the easiest ways to cut down on crime rates and reduce your chances of burglary in your home is to be an active member in the community! Talking to your neighbours, starting a neighbourhood watch and interacting in your community are free and simple to do (depending on how friendly your neighbours are).

Get to know your neighbours
The best watchdogs you could ever have for your home are your neighbours! Mrs. Curious who always walks her dog in front of your house and Mr. Nosey who likes peeking through his blinds constantly are actually your best bets for someone who will carefully monitor your home. When new neighbours move in the number one rule is to try to be extra friendly, make sure to introduce yourself and they’ll become familiar with you. Getting to know your neighbour – no matter how painful it is – means getting comfortable with their habits and you’ll be more likely to notice when something is out of the ordinary.

When you go out of town always let your closest and most trusted neighbour know, fill them in on what to expect whether it’s the timers for the lights or the pet sitter coming over to feed Fluffy. If anything goes wrong they can spot it right away and contact you right away, make sure to return the favour when they’re out of town.

Start a neighbourhood watch program
If you start a neighbourhood watch program you can easily cut back on crime, begin by investigating crime rates and reports in your neighbourhood. The next step is to form a small committee to address the needs in your area and then notify your local police department that you want to start your group.

As a neighbourhood watch, it’s important that you hold meetings and come together to see what you can do to increase safety in your community and don’t forget to include every member of your neighbourhood for the best results, whether they are, old, young, married or single.

Create change through your local government
Although the government is not exactly the best example of things getting done quickly, your local city council members are the best people to talk to. If you’re ever concerned about your street being too dark or having too many potholes, you need to let them know because you know your community best. It takes the work of concerned citizens to truly enact change in the local government and it definitely takes a huge amount of patience.

I takes an entire community to make things safer, so take advantage of your nosy neighbour! The change might not be immediate, but the results you see on the long run will definitely be worth it.

For a reliable, high standard and professional security service, contact SIS - Security & Investigation Services, they offer anything from guarding to farm protection. 

“Urban crime legend” – Marking of homes by attackers

You live in South Africa, if you didn't know before you should know now that the crime rate is very high and some of us still believe that criminals cannot be incredibly creative and tactile. What was once called an “urban crime legend” is now proving to be cold, hard fact.

The “legend” is the marking of homes of victims by the attackers; the attackers use this to give information about the people living inside the home and the home securities that they have. There are a variety of different markings that the attackers leave in front of your home to send messages, some include:     
                    - Cans
                    - Empty bottles
                    - Leaves with markings
                    - Piles of stones
                    - Plastic packets
                    - Shoe soles
                    - Paint marks

Often these markings are not noticeable and may not seem suspicious at all, you need to make sure you, your family and your friends are informed properly about safety, especially in a country where there is a lot of crime.

Keep in mind that not all litter in front of your home means you have been marked, the wind could have blown some rubbish onto your lawn or someone could've just left an empty bottle lying around. If you ever find any of these markings in front of your home first think about your neighbor break-in and crime history, but even if it’s just litter it’s always safer to just pick it up! Here are some of the crime codes in the UK: 

Most of us South Africans believe that owning a dog will protect you and your home, they are wrong! Criminals can easily lace meat with a poison like rat poison or insecticides, feed it to your dog and then wait for your pet to become sick, allowing them to attack your home.

In South Africa you cannot rely on the poor man’s alarm system(a dog) to protect yourself, your family and your home, you need to keep your eyes open for markings remove them immediately, throw them away and then notify your neighbours. 

Get in touch with SIS - Security Investigation services if you want to ensure you and your belongings are safe the right way, they offer guarding, farm protection and technical and security services.

Written By: Christine Romans