Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Security In Your Home

By: Robert Thatcher



Physical security is very important to a home owner. Your home is one of your most important possessions since this is where you and your loved ones reside.

Once you know that your home is safe from intruders, you can rest assured that your material and personal possessions as well as your loved ones, are secured.

There are several parts of your home that you need to secure by using electronic devices:

- The perimeter of your house to prevent burglars from intruding on your home.

- Enclosed areas within the house should be secured as well, in case of fire.

- Your garage should also have an intruder alarm to protect your vehicles, aside from the anti-theft device on the car itself.

It does not matter what style of life you lead. Home security should be and essential part of your budget to give you peace of mind. In addition to providing physical security in the home, your home security system should also help you find help should an emergency ensue.

Here are some tips when planning for the security of your home:

1. Make an initial survey of your house and from there, develop a home security plan.

Check all of the rooms and the area outside of your house. Determine if the neighbors have a clear view of what is going on within your house.

Having a very open area that can be easily observed by anyone from the outside may be a threat to your security.

2. When placing burglar alarms or intruder sensors, place them in strategic areas in and out of your house.

Home security need not be expensive. You do not need to put in alarms and sensors on each and every part of the house.

As long as they are installed on the proper places, then your house will be secured enough.

3. Review your way of living and the size of your family.

Do you often have visitors who may roam around freely? Do you have a member of the family who may come inside the house in the middle of the night?

These factors will help you decide on the “level” of security system that you will install on your home.

4. You can place sensors within your house. These sensors can be installed on windows to alarm you of intruders.

In addition, you may install sensors within the house, specifically in hallways, to warn you of intruders within the house.

5. Place fire alarms in areas around the house which is most likely to gather heat or smoke.

An unusual level of smoke, fire or heat can easily be detected to warn you of impending fire threats.

6. There are mechanical locks and sensors that you can install on doors for good measure.

7. For households with babies, you may purchase a baby monitor or a video surveillance.

A video security system in your house will give you peace of mind. You may also “automate” your home, and watch your children from your TV screen so that you can keep track of what they are doing.

Whether you choose to install it yourself or get the services of a company which specializes in building security systems, home security should not be taken for granted.

You should put in extra time and effort in order to ensure that you and your family have a happy and physically secure environment.

Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Security Officer and Functions

Security Officer and Functions

Security guard or security officer is a privately-employed person who is employed to protect property and/or people. Usually security guards are uniformed and act to protect property by maintaining a high visibility presence and observing (either directly, through patrols, or by watching alarm systems or video cameras) for signs of crime, fire or disorder; then taking action and/or reporting any incidents to their client, employer

Security guard or security officer is a privately-employed person who is employed to protect property and/or people. Usually security guards are uniformed and act to protect property by maintaining a high visibility presence and observing (either directly, through patrols, or by watching alarm systems or video cameras) for signs of crime, fire or disorder; then taking action and/or reporting any incidents to their client, employer and emergency services as appropriate.



Functions and duties



The security guard motto is to "detect, deter, observe and report." Security guards are not normally required to make arrests or otherwise act as police officers except in some United States jurisdictions in which the security officer is invested with arrest powers like those of a county sheriff. In contrast to the above mentioned motto, a Private Security Guard's or Officer's actual primary duty is prevention of crime. Security personnel do enforce company rules and can act (as would any other person) if necessary to protect lives or property. In fact, they frequently have a contractual obligation to provide these actions. Security Officers are often trained to perform arrests, operate emergency equipment, perform first aid, take accurate notes and write effective reports, and perform other tasks as required by the property they are protecting.



One major economic justification for security guards is that insurance companies (particularly fire insurance carriers) will give substantial rate discounts to sites which have a 24-hour presence; for a high risk or high value venue, the discount can often exceed the money being spent on its security program. This is because having a security guard on site increases the odds that any fire will be noticed and reported to the local fire department before a total loss occurs. Also, the presence of security guards (particularly in combination with effective security procedures) tends to diminish "shrinkage," theft, employee misconduct and safety rule violations, property damage, or even sabotage. Many casinos hire security guards to protect the money when transferring it from the casino to the casino's bank.



Security guards also perform access control at building entrances and vehicle gates by ensuring that employees and visitors display proper passes or identification before entering the facility. Security guards are often called upon to respond to minor emergencies (lost persons, lockouts, dead vehicle batteries, etc.) and to assist in serious emergencies by guiding emergency responders to the scene of the incident and documenting what happened on an incident report.



Although security guards are a distinct type of personnel from either police officers or the military, in the United States a very high proportion of security personnel, including most senior management personnel, are either former or retired members of one or both services. Many security guards who don't fit this profile (young people in particular) use the job as a springboard into a police career.



Being a private security guard is by no means a lucrative endeavor. Most first line private security personal are paid a low wage which often does not reflect the risks they endure on duty.

Private Detectives & Investigators: Nature of Work

Private detectives and investigators use many methods to determine the facts in a variety of matters. To carry out investigations, they may use various types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s place of employment or income, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators often interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. In all cases, private detectives and investigators assist attorneys, businesses, and the public with legal, financial, and personal problems.

Private detectives and investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. They investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft , harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in civil liability and personal injury cases, insurance claims and fraud , child custody and protection cases, missing persons cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.

Most detectives and investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location or a vehicle. They continue the surveillance, which is often carried out using still and video cameras, binoculars, and a cell phone, until the desired evidence is obtained. This watching and waiting often continues for a long time.

Detectives also may perform computer database searches or work with someone who does. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain massive amounts of information on individuals’ prior arrests, convictions, and civil legal judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and other matters.

The duties of private detectives and investigators depend on the needs of their clients. In cases for employers that involve fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, for example, investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of subjects. If an investigator observes a subject performing an activity that contradicts injuries stated in a worker’s compensation claim, the investigator would take video or still photographs to document the activity and report it to the client.

Significant Points

Work hours are often irregular, and the work can be dangerous.
About 1 in 4 are self-employed.
Applicants typically have related experience in areas such as law enforcement, insurance, the military, or government investigative or intelligence jobs.
Despite faster-than-average employment growth, keen competition is expected because of the large number of qualified people who are attracted to this occupation; the most opportunities will be found in entry-level jobs with detective agencies or in stores that hire detectives on a part-time basis.
Private detectives and investigators often specialize. Those who focus on intellectual property theft, for example, investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. Other investigators specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Their reports reflect information gathered through interviews, investigation and surveillance, and research, including review of public documents.
Legal investigators specialize in cases involving the courts and are normally employed by law firms or lawyers. They frequently assist in preparing criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence. Legal investigators also may collect information on the parties to the litigation, take photographs, testify in court, and assemble evidence and reports for trials.
Corporate investigators conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. In internal investigations, they may investigate drug use in the workplace, ensure that expense accounts are not abused, or determine whether employees are stealing merchandise or information. External investigations are typically done to uncover criminal schemes originating outside the corporation, such as theft of company assets through fraudulent billing of products by suppliers.
Financial investigators may be hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that are prospective parties to large financial transactions. These investigators often are certified public accountants (CPAs) who work closely with investment bankers and other accountants. They search for assets in order to recover damages awarded by a court in fraud or theft cases.

Detectives who work for retail stores or hotels are responsible for controlling losses and protecting assets. Store detectives, also known as loss prevention agents, safeguard the assets of retail stores by apprehending anyone attempting to steal merchandise or destroy store property. They prevent theft by shoplifters, vendor representatives, delivery personnel and even store employees. Store detectives also conduct periodic inspections of stock areas, dressing rooms, and restrooms, and sometimes assist in opening and closing the store. They may prepare loss prevention and security reports for management and testify in court against persons they apprehend. Hotel detectives protect guests of the establishment from theft of their belongings and preserve order in hotel restaurants and bars. They also may keep undesirable individuals, such as known thieves, off the premises.

Bill Warner Private Investigator Sarasota & Bradenton to Panama City Florida

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