Is Your Property Protected?

At Somerset Fire Alarm and Security, we like to make sure everyone feels safe and protected either at home or in the office; property crimes can occur anywhere at any time. Did you know that, according to the 2018 Crime Clock Statistics, a property crime occurred every 4.4 seconds? Property crimes include: Burglary, larceny theft, robbery, and motor vehicle theft. Every 25.7 seconds a burglary occurs, that equates to a total loss of over $16.4 billion dollars. Now that’s a lot of billions to ignore! On average, only 24% of burglarized homes use a security system and 58% of burglarized businesses involve forcible entry (FBI.gov). Do you have a security system for your home or business?

That answer should be a yes, but if it’s not, let’s discuss this topic a little bit more.

Do you know the difference between each of the property crimes? According to Oxford Dictionary, Burglary is defined as the “entry into a building illegally, with the intent to commit a crime, especially theft,” and robbery as “the action of taking property unlawfully from a person or place by force or threat of force.” Now larceny theft is defined as “the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another (FBI.gov).” While motor vehicle theft not only includes stealing of automobiles, but other vehicles such as motorcycles and snowmobiles (law.jrbank). Do you want to hear a scary number? If you combine the averages of all the different property crimes that happened in 2018, within the United States, you’ll get the number of 7,478,106 (FBI.gov). So, how protected is your property, really?

Residential Property Crimes

When an intruder breaks into your home, they don’t just take your belongings, but your sense of security in your own home. Studies have shown that intrusions, home invasions, and thefts are most often committed by people we know or have seen before. I want you to know how to ensure this doesn’t happen to you and keep your home and self better protected. Now, you may think that burglaries most often happen at night under the cover of darkness, but that’s not true. According to the FBI, 51% of burglaries in 2018 happened during the day between the hours of 10am-3pm, with only 32% happening in the evening or at night. Between the hours of 10am-3pm, most individuals are away at work while their children are in school. However, more specifically between the hours of 12pm-2:30pm, homeowners or renters are more likely to be finished taking their lunch breaks, leaving them vulnerable. Is your property protected? Here’s a few quick tips on how you can better secure your home while you are away:

1. Get a dog! Now I know dogs are a huge responsibility, but did you know home break-ins are less likely to occur when a dog is present? They’re a great deterrent.
2. Use a wood dowel rod cut to size or an adjustable safety bar in the interior floor track of a sliding glass door, or on the interior track of a window to keep them from opening.
3. Keep your valuables out of sight and secured in a safe. Burglars want to get in and out as quickly as possible, make it harder by having your belongings secure.
4. Don’t show off expensive items. Burglars typically case your neighborhood before deciding on a home to go after, make sure you leave nothing valuable in front of a window for everyone to see.
5. Get a Security and Camera system. Burglars are 300% more likely to break into a home without an active or visible security system. Call Somerset today to get a free quote!

Commercial Property Crimes

Just like residential property crimes, commercial property crimes can take your sense of security in your business. Chances are your business has a lot more possessions that would be really hard to work without. However, unlike residential property crimes that happen during the day, most commercial property crimes happen at night, weekends, or holidays when business is closed and nobody is around. That doesn’t mean they don’t happen during the day, they’re just less likely. Regardless of when they occur, property crimes can have devastating effects on businesses, especially small businesses. In 2018, larceny theft from commercial properties accounted for more than 3,200,000 recorded property crimes. While commercial property robberies accounted for more than 130,000, burglaries 420,000, and motor vehicle theft of 750,000 (FBI.gov). Is your property protected? Here’s a few quick tips from Insureon on how you can keep your business protected when you leave:

1. Check every entry point when leaving your building. “Lock and double-check every entry point (doors and windows) when leaving your building, and ensure that your work vehicle is securely locked and that the keys are on your person.”
2. Perform background checks. Thefts usually happen by somebody that we know, coworkers or regular delivery drivers. Know who is in your building at all times.
3. Evaluate outdoor property. Tall bushes near your building create a great hiding spot for criminals, make sure your building and parking lot are well lit particularly near entry ways.
4. Keep track of keys. “Track every key issued to employees, and ensure keys are returned when employees leave your company. Limit the number of people who have keys and access to expensive equipment. The more people who have keys, the more susceptible your business is to risks.”
5. Get a Security and Camera system. Oftentimes the presence of a security system or cameras is enough to deter threats to your company’s safety. Think about adding an access control system to your overall security system to keep better track of who enters your building and when. Call Somerset today to get a free quote!

Everyone deserves security protection they can count on.

At Somerset, we are proud to offer the best product lines available in home and work security. We partner with Qolsys and Alibi Security to not only bring you advanced security to your home, but also to your office. With a wide range of functionalities and add-ons, Qolsys brings multiple layers of security. Matching your Qolsys system with an Alibi Surveillance system gives 360° coverage of your property.

Our goal at Somerset Fire Alarm & Security is to educate, protect, and help the community. We are committed every minute of every day.

Call us today with any questions or concerns and we will be glad to help you and your family out. Be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, & SHARE this post if you found it insightful or helpful in any way. Stay tuned for more Somerset FAS blog posts in the future.