Monday, July 31, 2006

Video Confirmation of Burglaries Urged

I don't know about you, but if I verified the crime on the video security system, I would call the police and tell them I was there verifying it. Since you already know someone is breaking in, now you can drive down there and meet the police. Who wants to go out and risk being attacked by the criminal.


Dallas: Critics of alarm policy ask police to rethink eyewitness rule

12:08 AM CDT on Monday, July 31, 2006By KRISTINE HUGHES and TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

A phone call dragged Missy Hale out of a sound sleep one recent Sunday morning.The security company for the car dealerships she manages told her that a burglar alarm had been tripped at the company's Pleasant Grove lot.

But before she could call police, she had to drive there to confirm the alarm was valid, thrusting her into a tense situation.

Dallas' new verified response alarm ordinance requires proof of a break-in before police will dispatch sworn officers. But months after the law became effective, some alarm companies and business owners are now lobbying the police department to accept monitored video cameras as an alternative to eyewitness verification.

Click on the link to see the rest of the story.

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

Friday, July 28, 2006

Burglars Hit Store Five Times in One Month

By David Kenney
Jackson 07/06/06

A Jackson convenience store owner is fed up with burglars repeatedly breaking in her business. Several thousand dollars have been taken in the recent weeks. Now the cost to repair the damage left behind by the thieves, is costing the owner almost as much, as the stolen merchandise.
Five burglaries in just a months time, the Fairway Grocery Store on Terry Road is battered and bruised.
"Coming in roof, coming outside on the backside and breaking in the wall, coming through the bathroom taking cigarettes, cigar lighter everything." For 25 years, Mina Paul has owned the convenience store. "Next time come in take more cigarette and cigar and lighter again."

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5121699
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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Construction Equipment Stolen

Equipment stolen from Kersey plant
Staff Reports
July 21, 2006

A Bobcat skid steer worth $8,000, a generator worth $10,000 and a fuel tank and ladder are just some of the items stolen from the wastewater treatment plant in Kersey last week.Kersey Police Chief Pat Carey said the thefts are under investigation and no arrests have been made.He said the items were left at the job site and were stolen in the early morning hours of July 13. The Bobcat belongs to Fischer Construction, and the other items belong to the town of Kersey.

Greeley Tribune - News

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Monday, July 24, 2006

Construction Site Thieves Hit New Homes

Posted by: Dennis Turner
Construction Thefts Hit New Homes

Olive Branch, Miss - As if Olive Branch Police didn't have enough work on their hands with a burglary ring, and the shooting of two officers, now there's a new, unusual set of thieves on the street. You've heard of car thieves stripping a car down to it's frame? In Olive Branch, they're stripping houses almost down to the four walls.Michael Harig has never seen anything like it in his 35 years as a builder. "Anything they can get away with. They break into the house, they stole appliances, air conditioning heating units light fixtures... carpet." said Harig. That's right, even the carpet. Thieves hit these homes in the Chicasaw Heights subdivision over the last week... taking everything but the kitchen sink... and sometimes even that. Here's the amazing thing about these thefts. It takes days to install these appliances and cir conditioning in a new home. These thives are managing to get away with their loot in a matter of hours. Behind them they leave cut pipes, dangling wires and a real mess. It's a problem Olive Branch detectives have tackled before. "We had this problem a while back. we had a rash of these burglaries where people were going in stealing appliances." "How'd you stop them?" "We ultimately got some good tips and good leads that we were able to get a tag number at that time and trace that back." said Maj. Don Gammage of the Olive Branch Police. And he's hoping for the same luck this time."If they're hitting one neighborhood, one subdivision, we don't know if they're coming to the other subdivision." he explained. And who pays for this loss... builders say we all do. "Ultimately the buyer, the homeowner. 'Cause Insurance rates go up, cost of quipment goes up, everything goes up." said Harig. Especially the price tag of the home.

WREG-TV Memphis - Construction Thefts Hit New Homes

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Saturday, July 22, 2006

23rd Annual National Night Out

The 23rd Annual National Night Out is Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Join the Tradition 

How would you like to: * Improve the safety of your block * Have a fun time with your neighbors * Build community and * Take part in a huge, nationwide program?

You can do it all at this year’s National Night Out (NNO) on August 1! This is a great time to get together with your neighbors at an event you design just for your block. Your event will give neighbors a chance to get to know each other better. When neighbors know and care about each other, they feel more comfortable reporting crime and suspicious behavior to police. More people watching out for each other and calling 911 will make your block a safer place. And it all can start (or be recharged) with your NNO event!  NNO is a long tradition throughout the United States. In 2005, more than 34 million people from all 50 states got involved.


For more information go to - http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/.

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Burglars get away again

Video Security Systems are a must have in a business.  The problem is without an alarm, you only have a recording to go off.  There are now Digital Video Recorders that are capable of sending an alarm output that will call a specified phone when the crime is in action.  Then the police can get there and stop the crime in the act.

Suspected Serial Burglars Caught on Tape

July 19, 2006 07:49 AM


(Amherst, NY, July 19, 2006) - - Police across Western New York need your help catching two suspected serial burglars caught on tape.

Surveillance video shows two men cleaning out the safe at a business in Amherst.

Both are suspected in as many as sixteen other burglaries in several other towns.


WIVB TV4 Buffalo,Niagara Falls, NY - News & Weather - Video on Demand - Suspected Serial Burglars Caught on Tape

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Monday, July 17, 2006

Burglar Caught on CCTV Video

Another burglar is caught on tape. Now the owners just have to hope he's caught. With a video security system that records and calls the owner, the guy could have been caught in the act.
Man Caught On Surveillance Tape Breaking Into Store POSTED: 5:12 pm CDT July 7, 2006

Milwaukee police said they need the public's help finding a burglar with an eye for fashion.

Surveillance video caught a man breaking into La Mexicana records store on Lincoln Avenue.Officers said the man used big rocks to break the store's front window and then stole five T-shirts and 10 belts before taking off.
TheMilwaukeeChannel.com - News - Man Caught On Surveillance Tape Breaking I
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Friday, July 14, 2006

Video Security System Catches Burglar

This is a good example of a Video Security System at work.  The only thing is with a Digital Video Recorder that calls to alert you of an intrusion, the thief could have been caught and arrested in the act.

Burglary Caught On Tape

June 20, 2006 12:05 PM By: CJ Cassidy

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO --A home security system proves useful for the second time in three months. Police say not only was a burglary caught on tape, it also pointed them right to the suspect.How would you feel if you saw someone break into your home?Pat LaFont and his wife saw it happen not once, but twice.Surveillance video shows three masked men trying to break into the LaFont home in the dead of night, back in April.Last week, the same cameras caught another crook on tape, breaking into the home in broad daylight; and here's the kicker: he made sure the couple was away first."This guy doing some work for us called and asked us where I was, and I made the mistake of letting him know I was out of town, and wouldn't be in for a few hours. Then he called later left me a voice mail saying he had spotted a vehicle around my property, but that I shouldn't worry," LaFont says.When the couple returned home, they were in for a shock."It just shows you how hard he worked to get into one area of the house," LaFont says, pointing to a door he says was beaten down with a sledgehammer.But thanks to their cameras, the LaFonts were able to point to this man, Chad Peltz as the alleged intruder."We caught him breaking into the house; breaking the lock and all that," La Font says."It's technology we're likely to see more of, as cameras get cheaper, and it definitely does help us if they get a good image of the suspect," Jason Selzer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department says.

Burglary Caught On Tape

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Wednesday, July 12, 2006

How to protect your business from burglary

Okay, so there have been a lot of headlines, and will continue to be, about business burglary. So, now here is an article on how to prevent it from happening to you.

The 4th point is for a Burglar Alarm. An even better type of Burglar alarm is a Video Security System. What they do, is to allow you to verify the crime and get the police to you location faster.

How to put burglars out of business
You can do a number of things to "put burglars out of business"--specifically, your business. They fall into four general categories: (1) making your business uninviting to a burglar; (2) making it hard for him to get inside; (3) making it hard for him to find or remove valuable items; and (4) making it likely he'll get caught if he does get in.
1. Making Your Business Uninviting
Good lighting--both inside and outside--is probably the single most effective and inexpensive deterrent to burglary. Lighting destroys the cover of darkness burglars prefer to work in. Outside lights--the sodium vapor type is best--should cover all points of entry, alleys and passageways, especially those in back. Inside lights are particularly important around the safe and cash register.
Valuable merchandise should be illuminated too-but try to keep it out of display windows at night. Arrange your stock so that a burglar working in a far corner of the shop could be seen by someone walking by. If you have a burglar alarm, make it obvious--put a decal on the door or window, or make it visible from outside. Don't provide other kinds of cover for a burglar--stacked boxes, a vehicle parked close to the building, ladders, and so on.
2. Making It Hard to Get Inside
Exterior doors should be heavy and solid... not hollow. Wooden doors should be metal-lined to resist sawing and drilling. Glass panels should be protected from being kicked or knocked out. Side and back entrances should also have metal bars as wide as the inside of the door that can be dropped into place at closing time. Hinge pins on doors should be installed inside so that they cannot be removed by a thief.
A deadbolt lock is best for doors. There are two main types. One (single cylinder) requires a key to open from the outside but can be opened with a knob from the inside. It is effective if the door is strong and there's no nearby glass that could be broken to get to the knob. The other type (double cylinder) requires a key to open from both outside and inside. This is effective if the door is not so strong or there's breakable glass near it. But it also can be a fire hazard if it's kept locked during business hours. Make sure your local codes permit this type of lock before installing one.
Avoid springlatch locks that can be opened by using a knife blade, a thin piece of metal or a plastic strip.
Window security is just as important as door security. Break-resistant glass is best, especially for display windows. Rear and side windows should be protected by grillwork (iron bars) or by heavy duty screen (No. 9 gauge interior wire guards), also useful on doors with glass panels. The grillwork or screen should be bolted through the building. Locks are useful on some types of windows; check with a good locksmith.
Don't overlook other ways a burglar might get inside your business--skylights, ventilators, sidewalk grilles, loading docks, old coal chute openings and others. Take steps to make these burglar resistant also.
And don't forget that some thieves don't even have to break in: They walk in while you're open, then hide in a rest room, closet or similar hiding place until after closing time. So check all potential hiding places before closing up.
If you store some of your stock outside, it should be well lighted and enclosed by a fence-high, sturdy and topped with barbed wire (otherwise it's too easy to climb over or poke a hole through).
3. Making It Hard to Find or Remove Valuable Items
Safes and cash registers should be clearly visible from the street. Leave the cash register drawer open and empty after business hours. The safe should be of good quality and firmly anchored. Lock you check protector and blank checks in the safe. Avoid having large amounts of cash on the premises. Make bank deposits at varying times during the day.
If good lighting doesn't scare off a burglar, it will make it harder for him to go undetected while he's working inside or outside the building. If possible, hide or lock in the safe high-value items (such as expensive rings or watches) that would be especially attractive to a thief.
4. Making It Likely the Thief Will Get Caught
Consider installing a burglar alarm system. They range from the simple, inexpensive kind that merely makes a noise in the building to the complex, expensive and silent type that's tied to a police station or security agency. What kind you need depends on several factors: how likely it is that a thief would be detected without one, how far you are from a police station, how the system's cost compares with the cost of goods to be protected.
Get a system that either monitors itself or can be easily checked to make sure it's in good operation condition. Shop carefully and buy from a reputable company. If you have a good alarm system, you'll probably get a discount on you business insurance premium.
In lieu of (or in addition to) an alarm system, you may want to hire a security guard or security service to patrol your business at night. If not, make sure someone (either you or one of your employees) is responsible for checking security of the business before closing time.
Record serial number of large denomination bills. Also, a small amount of marked "bait money" may help police trace a thief. Try to keep a good inventory of your stock, including serial numbers of valuable goods, theft-prone items and business equipment. This will help police trace stolen goods and help you in filing an insurance claim.
If you do become a burglary victim, cooperate with the police in every way you can--including pressing charges if they catch a suspect and have enough evidence to convict him.

-- December 1990, National Crime Prevention Institute

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Church burglary under investigation

Eagle Staff Report
A weekend burglary at First United Methodist Church in Bryan resulted in more than $4,000 worth of stolen property and damage to the building, police said.
Items taken include a briefcase, hand-held walkie-talkies, a laptop computer, a hand-held voice recorder, keys to the church, a model car kit and baseball cards, police said.

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/011106/local_20060111038.php

Friday, July 07, 2006

Thief Burglarizes Plano Doctor's Office

POSTED: 10:45 am CDT June 20, 2006
UPDATED: 11:14 am CDT June 20, 2006

DALLAS -- Plano police are asking for help as they try to catch a thief who burglarized a doctor's office.
Police said the man took a safe, laptop computers, and other equipment from the office on Friday while a security camera caught him in action.
The man appeared to be wearing a tan and brown shirt.
Anyone with information is asked to call Plano police.

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/9397882/detail.html

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Thieves Steal $20,000 Worth Of Spurs

Crooks Bust Into Store Through Roof
POSTED: 9:01 am CDT May 26, 2006
UPDATED: 9:30 am CDT May 26, 2006
DENTON, Texas -- Thieves in Denton steal $20,000 worth of spurs from a Denton western wear shop after busting into the store through the roof.
Weldon Burgoon, the owner of Weldon's Saddle Shop and Western Wear in Denton, said the thieves came in through the air conditioning vents on the roof and took rare spurs from the early 1900s that can't be replaced.

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/9279100/detail.html