Even though these numbers show improvement, however, there is still a large need for protecting your home or business with a security system. Whether you are securing a business in Irvine, preventing theft in Anaheim or getting a security system in Santa Ana, a burglar alarm has been proven to increase the probability of catching your burglar and retrieving your assets.

Property Crime in California Homes and other property went down every year in the 1990’s, but then there was a rise from 2000-05. The most recent data available on California’s crime statistics is from 2007, with the California Department of Justice. There was a total of 681,235 property crimes in 2007 in California, which amounted to a Crime Rate of 1,803. This means that nearly 4% of the population in California was the victim of Burglary, Larceny or Theft. Another half of a percent (0.5%) of Californians were victims of a more severe property crime, such as Robbery or Aggravated Assault. The probability of being murdered in California in 2007 was one sixth of one percent, and the probability of being raped was one quarter of one percent.

The majority of these crimes happen at home. There are many ways to prevent burglary, larceny, theft and robbery. And even rape and murder can be prevented with a security system designed for full protection. Full protection means that your security system has a contact on every door from the outside, and every window is contacted as well. Also, a strategic use of motion detectors and glass break detectors will act as a secondary measure in case the intruder finds a way into the home that does not trip the contacts.

The sad thing is that many people have security systems, and they just don’t use them. The number one reason is that their system has had false alarms so they simply don’t use it anymore. Others never think of the value a security system in California can offer, until it’s too late.

Murder and rape are obviously the worst crimes imaginable, but being burglarized can have a very dramatic effect on someone’s feeling of safety. In a burglary, an intruder breaks into your private residence, touches your things, takes your valuables. The psychological impact of a robbery is sometimes very difficult to overcome. Some long term effects of burglary are a lack of sleep, mistrust, and paranoia.

There are many home security companies in California, so how do you know which one to use? There are three important criteria. First, they must be licensed by the state of California (CSLB) or you are liable for any damage they do to your house during the installation. Second, it is much better to go with a local security company that has a good reputation for installing and servicing your security system. This is important because if the company is too small then they probably ore unlicensed, but if they are a nationwide security installation company then their service will be horrible.

The third important criteria is the old adage that your dad always said, “You get what you pay for.” It is smart to get at least three quotes for a home security system. If one or two of the quotes seem abnormally low, then they are low for a reason. In my opinion it is irresponsible of a company to offer to install a security system that will not fully protect the customer, just for the sake of underbidding the competition. A security system’s function is to protect your family, and does not deserve compromise in any way. The best way to handle the quotes is to look at what you will get for the price they have offered, and do the research on the company. If their BBB rating is bad, or there are bad reviews on www.yelp.com, then you may end up being one of those victims who has a security system but never uses it because it is dysfunctional.

There were 38,000 larceny theft cases in 2008, making it the most popular crime by far. Burglary was also very common, there were 16,000 burglaries in Los Angeles County in 2008.

Burglary, Robbery, and Theft can all be prevented with a well-designed security system. We offer installation services for burglar alarms, fire alarms, security cameras, and door access control. All of these electronic security systems can decrease the possibility of theft in your home or business.

California’s prisoner population has gone from around 30,000 in the late 1970s to around 170,000 today. These numbers grew because of laws like Three Strikes and You’re Out, mandatory minimum sentences for categories of drug offenders and a stringent parole system. Generally, over the last 15 years, the crime rate has dropped.

It is difficult to say if there will be a backlash from these released prisoners, but common sense say that drug dealing, violence, burglary, theft and even murder rates will increase. It is likely that California cities with large populations, such as San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino will all see a rise in the crime rate because a majority of the prisoners will be released into their populations. However, it is also possible that small suburban cities such as Irvine, Anaheim and Santa Ana will be effected by the prison releases also.

The Los Angeles times wrote “The order cited Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s own words when he proclaimed a state of emergency in the corrections system in 2006 and warned of substantial risk to prison staff, inmates and the general public, saying ‘immediate action is necessary to prevent death and harm.’”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the judges believed “by changing parole practices and releasing some low-risk inmates to local custody, treatment programs or electronic monitoring, the prison population can be reduced ‘without a meaningful adverse impact on public safety,’”

PDF of Court Order

A Home Invasion is usually just a “breaking and entering” but, as you hear in the news, it can sometimes lead to a murder. The vast majority of the time, a home invasion is just a burglary or it is often called a “hot burglary” because a family is home. It is proven that a home security system will deter the majority of burglars before they happen, so this is the first step.

The article below gives invaluable information on home invasions and burglaries, and outlines 4 ways to plan for the worst.

Planning for the Worst: a Home Invasion

Home Security System Companies

If you personally are looking into burglar alarm systems, what are some things you should be keeping in mind for your selection? How do you know which one is the best for you, and what features do you need? The answer will be different for everyone, because everyone has a different home, and different security needs. So, why would security companies even offer a generic $99 security system? Because this is a foot-in-the-door technique. Unless you live in a 100 squarefoot studio apartment, the $99 system will need expensive add-ons. Most ADT and Brinks customers end up paying hundreds or thousands, because they do need more security equipment than the $99 system offers.

You will be best served by avoiding the too-large and too-small security businesses. ADT and Brinks have notoriously horrible service, where they take too long to fix any problems, and their equipment has a high faulty rate. Because they are so large, they end up subcontracting the installation of your system to a smaller company that may or may not have the necessary experience, and usually install the least expensive equipment they can get away with. The subcontractor install security with a focus on trying to increase their margin, because ADT has a very domineering subcontracting agreement, which doesn’t leave the subcontractor with very much room for profit. Therefore, the subcontractor has to decide to either work for less than minimum wage, or cut corners on the installation.

So, who should you trust to install your home security system? The sweet spot is right in the middle. Try to find a company that is not too big, and not too small. They should have their own, in-house installation crews for quality control. The number of years in business tells a story about how a companies security installation methods work. In such a high liability industry, where the worst case scenario is failed security and burglary. Therefore, a company that has been around for a while is trustworthy. Price should definitely come into play, but you should try to compare apples to apples between different companies, and ask questions until you completely understand what you are getting.

Two Schools are burglarized, one had an alarm system but it wasn't yet activated, the other was a closing school in which copper was stripped from the infrastructure.

The stolen equipment was intended for use by teachers in conjunction with computers in the classroom. “They’re used to project the computer images on a larger screen, for all the kids, and so the entire classroom can see,” he said. “These aren’t small monitors. They’re large 32-inch flat screens. It’s a shame that someone would do that to the students who need that equipment and we have to have it ready before the school opens in the fall.”

If the SAT Scores drop in that district in the next 5 years, we know who to blame.

The Department of Education in San Diego now says that the school board is nearing a balanced budget (read article). However, incidents like these in Louisiana are a reminder that security is an important safeguard. With a security system, schools are less reliant on sheriff departments to constantly patrol their grounds. Also, if you add up all of the potential for loss, a security system is a great bargain. We have customers with security systems who have saved tens of thousands a month from the constant, unmanned protection.

The original article included many honest, and sometimes funny comments. Here are a few of the best:

” Couldn’t delivery of expensive equipment be done AFTER the security systems are activated ? Perhaps this should become common practice in the future.”

” I would think that once any valuable piece of equipment would be placed inside the school, an alarm system would be activated. Especially, since they mention that it has happened before in some of the other new schools. How many things need to be stolen before our officials figure this out? I’m sure some of the older schools, the ones with all the obsolete techonology, would have loved 12 flat screen televisions. ”

” Shame on whomever took these monitors, because they took them in essence from the children for whom they were intended. … As for the possible culprits being bored students or constuction workers, I think it best not to accuse anyone until we have a real reason to do so. ”

” Sounds like the work crew know exactly where its at. But it will be replace its North Lewis, if it was another school they would have to see where they can get funds from to replace the stolen TVs. ”

“I thought, ‘That’s it,’” she said. “Everybody in this subdivision has to know I was burglarized to protect themselves and to be more aware. I was fed up.”

For her own safety, she had security Screens installed on every window of her home. Security screens look just like normal window screens, but they set off the alarm if they are tampered with or cut into.
In Derrick’s case, the burglary occurred because her security system was bypassed. Derrick started collecting newspaper articles. She searched for similar situations and came across another burglary in which an alarm was bypassed, as it had been at her home.

Many alarm systems don’t include glass-break detectors. Without this added service, the glass can be broken without sounding the alarm because the frame has remained in place. Once inside, they crawl low to the ground to avoid setting off motion detectors.

The burglary of her home remains unsolved, but Derrick is pretty sure she knows at least one of the guys who did it. As she was getting ready to go out for dinner that night, the doorbell rang. She answered. A man standing next to a big green bin asked her, “Would you like to buy something?”

Her instinct told her something was wrong, “I was really uncomfortable. He looked at me, and then he was looking beyond me. Now, I understand he was looking out back.”

When Derrick returned home that night, everything appeared normal until she saw the shattered glass.

Armed with her information about burglary, Derrick organized a recent crime prevention meeting to educate her neighbors. Derrick’s efforts are already raising awareness in the Three Oaks community, said neighbor Carolyn Neill said, “I had my security company come out to reinspect our system.”

Theft increase in the UK

Is this related to the downturn? A leaked document from the UK government says “yes.” Unemployment rose over this period, but has improved since the beginning of the year.