31
Aug
2010
Bars vs. System
I worry when someone wants to install bars on their windows instead of an alarm system. I worry because not only can they be removed given enough time and concentration from a burglar, but if there is a fire you are really, really risking dying of smoke inhalation because the fire department can’t get in. Smoke inhalation is the killer in a fire. You go unconscious much too fast to get out of the house and if there are bars on the windows the fire department can’t get in. Also the cost of bars is, in most cases, higher than a good burglar/fire alarm system. Go figure! Guru
16
Jul
2010
GET ‘EM!
CrimeStoppers has beefed up its access by asking the public to give tips via text when they can. Just text CS808 plus your message to 274637 or CRIMES. You can also provide information anonymously at 955-8300 or Honolulu Crimestoppers website, www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=606.
I LOVE new technology. Guru
21
May
2010
MANOA ALERT!!!
I was at a sales call yesterday in Manoa. The neighbors down the street had a truck pull up to their house last week and clean it out. This is common these days and there are ways for you and your neighbors to prevent this. Go to your neighbors and agree that if one of you is moving or having a truck delivery you will let the other know. If they see a truck in your driveway and haven’t been notified that you were expecting it, they have your permission to call you to verify it is legitimate. Just this little action can save the heart break of coming home to find your house empty and all your beloved valuables gone forever. Even better, call us and have a first class burglar alarm system installed in your home on Oahu. Guru
28
Apr
2010
Things Your Burglar Won’t Tell You, (but I will)
1. Of course I look familar. I was here last week doing a service for you in your home or delivering something. And, while I was in the house I might carefully unlock a window.
2. I’ll knock first to see if there is anyone home. I’ll be looking for someone who doesn’t live there if you answer. I am very polite. I’ll try all the doors to see if you left one unlocked before I try a window. It is so much easier to get in that way. Lots of people work on Oahu and are gone during the day so I have a lot of potential targets.
3. I try to never look like a thief. I dress nicely and am very pleasant if anyone talks to me. You will describe me as “such a nice boy or girl”.
4. You can count on me to pretty much trash the house because I just know you have valuables hidden somewhere. It doesn’t matter if you or your house looks like you have money. You will have something I want.
5. Your dog will make some noise but will shut up when I give him a bag of treats and then will think I am the greatest. We’ll be friends the next time I come around.
6. Sometimes I like to make an entry at a very unexpected place, maybe the second story just to show you how smart I am and how you can’t keep me out.
7. Sometimes I work with several guys, one at one end of the street and on at the other so if the police show up or you pull in your driveway they can call me on my cell phone and I will get out fast.
8. I do this pretty much every day. I like to think of it as “my job” and I have the whole of Honolulu and Oahu to work on. I figure you will just buy new things for yourself.
9. I don’t like burglar alarm systems. When the siren goes off I pretty much expect the police to be coming so I have to get out of the neighborhood as fast as I can which is humbug for me.
10. I particularly like to work my own neighborhood. I can watch to see exactly when you leave your house. You only have to be gone a few minutes for me to get in and get out.
11. These days I also look for anything I can sell to identity theft fences. They pay a lot for a birth certificate, social security card or just the social security number and, of course, if I find a credit card I will use it until you cancel it. That’s why I go through your file cabinet. I will take everything and sift through it later to see if I can find something useful to identity thieves.
Well, now you know me. Even I think that if you are smart you will get a burglar alarm system as fast as you can. Otherwise you can plan to “entertain” me as your guest as soon as I get around to you.
Guru
12
Apr
2010
DOOR TO DOOR
Check out www.ilind.net. Ian’s April 8 post takes the door to door salesmen to task. Ian investigated these guys last year and found out a lot of very bad information on how they operate. He is a retired investigative reporter and knows his stuff. It takes a lot of effort to thwart burglars and other lawless people out there. Ian has given us a lot of support in going after these guys. The April 8 post is still up on his blog. Check it out. Guru
30
Mar
2010
THEY ARE PROS NOW
The day of the summertime bored kid burglars is over, folks. The new breed are professionals, working our neighborhoods with efficiency. Burglars use cell phones to warn of police or you coming home. Burglars scope out a neighborhood days before and tag the mailboxes of those who are likely not to be at home. They sweep through a neighborhood with a truck they can load up and then dump because it is stolen. Burglars target electronics and easily sold popular items or load up all your furniture depending on what they are most likely to get rid of quickly. If you live on Oahu and haven’t been hit yet you need to take heed and protect yourself with a monitored burglar alarm system. This is the worst I have seen in the 20 years I have been working in the security business. Guru
15
Feb
2010
Are You A Good Neighbor?
Things are so bad out there lately that I think it is time to update our good neighborlyness and add an item or two to keep your neighborhood safe. You and your close neighbors all can agree to contact each other if there is any kind of unusual activity spotted at someone’s house. Get each other’s cell phone number for quick access if there is a big truck parked in the driveway and some big guys loading up or any other thing that needs to be checked out. If some stranger is fiddling with your neighbors car you might want to call your neighbor before strolling over to help out with getting into the car or looking under the hood. These tips are based upon actual events that took place under the neighbor’s noses and resulted in big rip-offs that could have been thwarted with a simple phone call. Your neighbors would rather you be a bit nosy sometimes. If you aren’t then you will spend the next ten years apologizing for letting someone rip them off while you were watching. Better yet, go in with each other to purchase alarm systems from Security One and get a package discount price that is very attractive. A residential alarm system is the way to go if you want real “peace of mind”. Guru
20
Jul
2009
ASK DOOR TO DOOR THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU LET THEM IN!
Before you give any door to door salesperson information you need to check them out and be sure you want them to know anything about you. If you tell them you don’t have an alarm system, guess what? They have knowledge you will immediately wish you hadn’t given them. If you are interested in what they have to say be sure to ask the following:
1. Are they a company affiliated with a mainland company. Yes, they may have a local address but that doesn’t mean they are a truly “local” company.
2. Is their phone number long distance or an 800 number. Again, if so, they are not local.
3. Do they have a contractor’s license. A Hawaii contractor’s license ALWAYS starts with a C-followed by 4 digits. If they give you a number, call 808 587-3295 or 587-3222 to verify the license is real.
4. Are they selling the monitoring agreement to a mainland company? If so, they can leave town at any time with no obligations to service your account.
5. Do they have installers just waiting to install a system. Don’t fall for it. No good alarm company drives around with installers looking for immediate business.
6. Do NOT give them your social security number and let them run a credit check on you. Who knows where that information is going to end up.
Don’t fall for the “we are in your neighborhood and we want to do free advertising at your house”, or “we like the looks of your house and want to install a free system for you for advertising”. Above all, if you already have a system, don’t fall for “we are here to upgrade you”. I guarantee they are NOT with your alarm company and they have been known to actually lie about it.
BEWARE! BE SMART!
12
Jun
2009
FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR SECURITY
Installing a burglar alarm system is the first line of defense for very little investment in money and time. The reasonable cost of a good alarm system often is a surprise. The “peace of mind” it gives you is priceless. Estimates are free from good alarm companies. Be sure the company you are dealing with has a contractor’s license and read your contract carefully so you know what you are getting for your money.
12
Jun
2009
HOW SAFE IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD?
I am often asked if I know which neighborhood on Oahu is the “safest”. I’d like to be able to say the answer to that question is that all neighborhoods on Oahu are “safe” but, unfortunately, I cannot. After years in this business I can say with confidence that there are no “safe” neighborhoods on Oahu. Burglars go wherever they find a home or business that looks unprotected and easy to enter. What can you do to guarantee you will not be a burglar’s victim?
1. Installing a burglar alarm system is the first line of defense for very little investment in money and time. The reasonable cost of a good alarm system often is a surprise. The “peace of mind” it gives you is priceless. Estimates are free from good alarm companies. Be sure the company you are dealing with has a contractor’s license and read your contract carefully so you know what you are getting for your money.
2. If you have an alarm system, get it updated. Touch screen keypads are the latest and greatest but the thing you want to make sure you have installed is the GSM cell radio module that will send signals to your central station if your phone or cable lines are cut. Yes, some smarty burglars have figured out that cutting those lines interrupts the transmission of signals and the dispatch of the police. The GSM solves the problem. If the lines are cut the GSM does the transmission as effectively as the phone line. If you don’t have land line phones you can still have an effective alarm system with the GSM as your primary monitoring vehicle. If you want to go really, really high tech GSM’s will provide web-based remote system control and e-mail notifications of events.
3. Beef up your Neighborhood Watch so it will really work for you. Go to all the neighbors and tell them that you will always let them know if you are moving or expecting a furniture delivery. Give them your work number. If they see a big truck backed up into your driveway and some guys loading up they can call you to see if this is for real or just someone emptying out your house. I know is sounds far fetched but this is happening island wide.
4. Don’t keep your car and house keys hanging on a convenient peg by the door. Don’t leave your purse by the door or in the kitchen so you can grab it on your way out. Hide your purse and keys in the house where are not easily located. Don’t leave your wallet and car keys on the dresser at night. Hide them in a place no one prowling around would look to find them.
Everything I have mentioned above is something that I have seen over and over again in every neighborhood on the island. We want you to be safe in your home and business. It is really up to us to see that our neighborhoods are safe.