As most people know, alarm systems for your business or residence are a must in this day and age. Alarm systems, if designed and installed properly, protect one of your most valuable assets. But the one shortfall of all alarm systems is that they are reactive. Reactive in the sense that something or someone has to interact with the building in order to for alarm system to notify you that there is an issue. By this time a burglar is already in the building and either taking your property or damaging the property they don’t want. The average burglar is in and out in eight minutes. Eight minutes is shorter than the time it takes for the alarm monitoring company to call the house to verify if this is a real or false alarm, and then call the police. And some people add another step to the call log and have the alarm company call their cell phone first. So while your alarm has notified the alarm company and they’re going through their call process, the burglar is now out of the building and on their way out. No one has seen anything, and all police have to go on is a crime scene that is covered in your fingerprints. No wonder why most residential and burglaries go unsolved…
In the past, low-budget burglars lived in your town. They stayed close to home because they knew the area. These days, buglers have taken a new approach. They don’t go to houses in their town. They don’t even use a car these days. They jump onto public transit. Jump on a bus, take it to a nice area, and then hit a couple of homes in the neighborhood, then walk down the street, and jump back on the bus headed home.
Why can’t the alarm system that is supposed to protect you actually stop this from happening? Because it reactive instead of proactive. In order to catch a burglar, you must catch them in the act. You need every advanced notice possible and you need it recorded since no one will be getting to the property in eight minutes. There is one thing that can do this and it will help you in many ways, and it is a recording camera system. A camera system is the number one thing that transforms your alarm system into a security system. It also adds an insurance factor to your liability. Let’s look at each area of improvement below.
Liability insurance:
Let’s say someone is walking on your property and said they fell and injured themselves. This could open up a liability on your part, but if you have a camera recording the event then you have proof of what really happened.
Deterrent system:
In the past, a metal sign in your front yard was a good deterrent to keep the burglar moving on and not hitting your property. These days burglars are smart. They know how far the police station is from your home, and have a good idea how long it would take for officers to arrive. In some scenarios they may even hit a house with an alarm system on purpose. This way they can see how long it will take the police to arrive. So now they know. Now what? They see a camera system and know that there is something recording everything they’re about to do. A camera system with some exposed outdoor cameras adds to your deterrent factor.
Alarm System to Security System:
As we mentioned above, the average burglar takes eight minutes to get through your house and take your belongings. With a camera system and a couple of strategically placed cameras, you can get video of the burglar in the act. This is by far much better evidence than half a fingerprint that might not be theirs.
Contact Quillen Contracting Today
With security technology growing at an all-time rate, it can be hard to keep up with latest capabilities. Most of all it can be a daunting task trying to figure out what you may and may not need in a surveillance system. Allow Quillen Contracting to meet with you, demonstrate the technology, and design a system to meet your specific security needs. With over 15 years of experience working with security systems of different complexities, Quillen Contracting has the experience and know-how to put a package together to suit your site. With knowledge of leading systems such as Pelco, Bosch, LTS, DVTEL, and many more, we have the right product for you.
Contact us today to schedule a free estimate! 484.754.6943