Rod said... I have written down a number of security topics for us all to ponder. I do hope that all the readers find these tips useful, if they require further explanation just post a question and I will do my best to respond. Also feel free to disagree with the posts, some of the items I have written about may have more than one option and a discussion and debate as to the real value of the tips is surely a healthy thing. The topics I have covered are generally physical features or personal action items. Obviously, neighbourly vigilance and support is at the heart of our security. Looking out for each other is the nicest feeling of security we can have, but no matter what community actions we take or what alarms and protection we initiate, we should not allow ourselves to be complacent and believe that we will never become a victim.I really hope that all of you reading my posts will find them useful and will try to pass them on to others who have not joined the blog. I will post each item with at least a day or two gap so that we can discuss any comments, disagreements or additions before moving on. The topics are not in any order of importance or logic, simply as they came into my head to write them down. Some of the items suggest things that would mean spending money. Of course everyone has their own choice to spend or not but a safe house ultimately has a higher resale value and protects your cash and valuables from loss in the first place – not to mention the personal safety factor, which is priceless.
#1Effective GatesYour first line of defence are your gates and fence, front and rear. It is worth examining your gate and fence to make sure that the design does not make it like a ladder which is easy or inviting to climb over. If you find that the construction of your fence and gate really is easy to climb, consider having some minor alterations to it to make it much harder for an intruder to get in and out. You don’t have to make it impossible to climb – just difficult. And don’t neglect the back of the house, in fact it is more important as the majority of break-ins are initiated from the back of a building where it is usually quieter. Most of us have auto-gates these days, when you drive into your front compound, close the gate before you unlock the car door and make sure that you have no uninvited visitors before getting out, especially in the dark, it takes an extra moment or two but it keeps you safer. Wednesday, July 15, 2009
#2Door LocksA sturdy door front and rear is a comforting security barricade but it needs to have accessories of appropriate configuration and quality to be effective. Security chains and door viewers are good ideas for anyone but are especially important for a house that someone spends a lot of time alone in. Even though the gate should be closed and locked, if someone is knocking on your door you really do want to know who it is before opening up. Good quality locks are essential but are useless if the strength and quality of the door jamb (frame) is not equally strong. Make sure that your door could not be forced open by simply a heavy kick. I have fitted locks which are keyed outside and inside, by this it is meant that a key is required to lock/unlock the door even from the inside rather than just a turn knob to unlock from inside. This can be criticised as being unsafe in the event of a fire and the need for the occupants to escape without any delay but these locks are only used when the last person leaves the house and it becomes empty. The real benefit of the internal locked door is that anyone breaking in (assuming they have beaten the walls, alarm and grilles etc.) will have to carry their booty out through the way they got in. Thus there is no way that they can open up the front door and carry out the home theatre system or TV.Always buy good quality door locks and pad locks (some are priced crazily but there is no need to go to that sort of extreme, just don’t go for the real cheapies) because the cheaper ones hardly slows an experienced crook at all, they know exactly where to knock it and it just pops open. The other thing about poor quality locks is that they soon wear out and become difficult to open and close smoothly, then you get lazy to use them all the time. At that point they are as good as no lock! A good lock will last for years, operate smoothly and give you peace of mind.Grilles which open should be padlocked shut but all the locks should be the same key, in this way every family member can have a key and in the event of fire, be able to escape via any window or grille. Definitely don’t leave the key to the grille padlocks where they can be reached from outside. Friday, July 17, 2009
#3Porch LampsThere are two trains of thought on lighting the outside areas of a house at night. Some believe that it offers best safety if a light is left on outside a house all night every night. Certainly it does mean that any intruder is more clearly visible to any patrol, neighbour or passer-by but it also gives an intruder all the light he needs to see how to break into your car or force open a grille and as the light is on every night it does not get a second glance from neighbours. I far prefer the other approach which is motion detected lights. These lights are activated by movement and the moment an intruder triggers the light and is immediately flooded in light he feels very exposed and is much more likely to run away. Also, if someone passing by sees a light go on it is a natural reaction to take a look, probably the intruder will be moving in a way that makes his intentions obvious and if we are a good neighbour we will contact the police immediately. The sensors for the lights are visible in the day time and so act as a deterrent just by being there, they also have the benefit of not annoying others who are trying to sleep by lighting up the road all night long and not wasting electricity. Additionally, they are very convenient when you drive into your front yard at night as the car will trigger them making your parking much safer as you can clearly see where junior left his bicycle! Once again, it’s all the more important at the back of the house. The sensors have sensitivity adjustment so that a small object (like a bird for example) won’t trip the light and the light can be adjusted to stay on for anywhere between a few seconds and a few minutes, depending on the model purchased. Sunday, July 19, 2009
#4Burglar AlarmsThere are several reputable companies in the market, each householder should do their own research to find out which one is doing the best deal for the particular layout, size and configuration of home. Although it is not cheap (my one cost about 2k 3 years ago) the comfort and confidence I have knowing that if any door or window is opened at any time during the night, I (and a good number of you fellow neighbours out there) will know about it immediately. For an additional RM 60 to RM 90 per month most good alarm companies offer an immediate response service automatically linked by way of the phone line. These alarms have a battery back-up which means that even in the event of power outage the alarm still has full function. The alarm is triggered by any one of several methods, there are vibration sensors which detect even very slight movement in a metal grille or proximity sensors which will go off the moment a door or window is opened, there are also motion detectors which can be placed to detect any movement in a hallway or in the ceiling and have sensitivity adjustments so that the inevitable chit-chat or even an unwelcome tikus, will not set the alarm off but a human intruder definitely will. It is also recommended to install an additional siren inside the house. This is to disorientate any intruder who sets the alarm off, they will feel panic (115dB definitely makes you jump and feel disorientated for a moment ) and not be able to hear if someone is coming and will most likely immediately flee the scene in a real hurry. A very cheap but useful option that I took is a ‘panic button’ which is a button that you have strategically installed where you can hit it in the event that you feel threatened or become aware of an intruder but the alarm has not been set or the intruder has somehow evaded detection. This button sets off the alarm and alerts the security center who will then dispatch their officers to the house. These alarm systems all have siren and lamp boxes on an external wall of the house and so are visible to any criminal who is choosing their next victim – a house with an alarm is definitely not going to be a first choice for a burglar! Can’t afford the real system? I once very carefully painted up a suitably sized biscuit tin to look like a popular brand of alarm box and stuck it to the end of my house, with a couple of wires sticking out of it. It might not fool the pro’s but it passed a glancing look and I’m convinced that it was a strong contributor to my security. Thursday, July 23, 2009
Rod said... #5 Common sense Of course, it’s all obvious and I’m insulting your intelligence even mentioning these items – so I apologise in advance but I’m going to say the obvious anyway, just for completeness. Don’t leave a ladder or any structure which can be climbed up in your front or back yard as they can be used to break in at a soft spot on the 1st floor, or as is often the case, taken to a neighbours place and used to break in there or to get over a tall wall. Don’t leave tools lying around which can be used to force open doors, windows or grilles. Don’t leave downstairs windows open at night – it’s an invitation to a thief It’s not like when we grew up, you must lock the door and grilles at night and whenever you go out – no exceptions. Lock your front and back gate at night, keep them locked in the daytime too, not all burglaries are at night. Be very wary of who you allow into your home and don’t let anyone see where you keep valuables. It is common for burglaries to happen within a couple of weeks of having had a stranger in the house (particularly temporary workers or new hires), possibly to perform some works or delivery, and it was noted that the house has a pile of cash lying around or particular valuable are in plain sight – just too tempting to resist. Remember that there are very few ways to make it totally impossible for a thief or burglar to make off with your belongings but there are dozens of ways to make it too difficult for him to feel that it’s worthwhile the risk and effort. Don’t be fooled into a false sense of security. Living in a gated community does not mean that you are immune to theft, it just means that the thieves have to be more organised and plan better but they also have found out that the residents in a gated community become complacent and lazy about security.
Most house owners in SS20 installed iron grilles for their doors & windows. All grilles for the glass doors, usually made of 4 panels, could all be slid to one side if the 2 end panels are not permanently fixed, welded or clamped to the center panels, making them immovable. Once the grilles are moved to one side, entry via the glass doors is a simple tasks. Owners, beware, please check your grilles at the glass doors (Rrench Windows) for weak / vulnerable points.
I was given to understand that the break-in at the fishmonger's house in ss20/7 happened on a Sunday during the time a son (last person to leave the house)went out for lunch.
Aside from the fact they probably had poor quality locks and not so reliable grilles (the thieves apparently entered via the glass doors), the following are interesting information to ponder on:
1. Directly opposite the house broken into, renovation was underway.
2. The break-in took probably 1 to 1.5 hours after the last person in the house left for lunch. How could the timing be so perfect unless someone was keeping watch.??
3. Who could have observed the movements in / out the house that well? Bear in mind it happened on a Sunday. All the workers at the opposite house under renovation are resting!
4. SS20Southern Zone committee, please confirm if the following is true: a few weeks ago, the house on the left of the house being renovated in road ss20/7 was also broken into.
Based on the above observations, could the SS20Southen Zone Committee consider the following suggestions:
1. Make all contractors undertaking renovations of long duration compulsorily register all their workers (complete all personal particulars, {finger prints if possible??} and their photos) with the police.
Remind the contractors they are responsible for their workers' actions.
2. Circulate copies of the particulars to the Committee and the neighboring house owners of the house undergoing renovation.
3. Police to frequently screen the contractors' workers at the house being renovated.
4. SS20southern Zone Committee to compile a list of vigilant measures / security tips including information similar to what member "Rod" is posting, to educate and / or remind all the residents on security measures.
This could be published in a form of regular newsletter and distributed to all SS20 (central, southern & northern zones) residents
Yesterday around 5.30pm, a Kancil with no plate JEW3979 with a 40s yr old man was going around SS20/6 slowly and looking at house by house.
I was on my way out from home but returned back and parkced along 22/6 observing him. He was going up and down the area for no less than 15 mins driving slowly.
Dear Tips - the PDRM are and will take note of all construction workers in the neighbourhood. Their details are recorded with the police.It would also be good if residents can alert the police on any new renovation jobs for them to take note of. For Desmond - good job...we need all the eyes we have to monitor suspicious outsiders.
#6 Vehicular security Over 1/3rd of the reported crimes in SS20 are vehicle theft (according to RTSS20 provided statistics). As with home security, a car or bike which has visible security features is far less likely to be a target of theft.
The majority of high end vehicles these days have immobilisers which all but make it impossible to steal it and even then, internal tracking devices will lead the authorities straight to the perpetrator. So, if your vehicle is not one of these well protected ones then you will have to take your own measures. Buy and use a sturdy steering steering wheel lock. There are also good gear locks available but unfortunately, many are easy to simply kick off. I found this hard to believe but a friend demonstrated it to me on the seemingly high quality gear lock I had purchased – I was as surprised as I was disturbed. If you have more than one car, park so that one blocks off the rest, to reduce the thief’s’ options.
Another additional security feature you can do is to install a hidden cut-out switch under the dashboard somewhere, go to your auto-electrician and ask him to install the switch to cut power to the fuel pump or to the crank angle sensor or another critical component of the car so that even if the car gets ‘hot wired’, the car won’t run until you flick the switch. The same goes for a motor bike, a secret switch cutting a vital circuit will make it too time consuming for a thief to steal your bike, it’s a very cheap and extremely effective security measure.
Think carefully about where you park, if you park in a back lane, a thief will feel that he has more time to break in undetected than if the car or bike is parked on a busy road and he won’t be so worried about making a bit of noise, maybe even feel bold enough to break a side window to get in. Much better to park inside your own gates.
Don’t leave valuables visible in a car, it’s asking to get the window smashed, even if it’s parked in your driveway.
For motor cycles, install a large eye-bolt in the wall or ground as close as possible to where you normally park the bike, have a length of heavy chain welded to the bolt before installing it and wrap the chain around the frame of the bike every time it’s parked. Of course the chain can be cut with big bolt croppers but the thief has to be pretty determined to get your bike – thieves are by definition lazy and so if there is another bike without a big chain holding it to the ground he will surely take that option.
#7 Domestic security It is wrong to tar all maids with the same brush. Many are valued and trusted members of a household who become a loved part of the family, it is therefore with advance apologies to those hard-working and kind souls and their families that some uncomfortable elements of a minority within are written here. The truth is that there are few amongst us who have not heard a sad story of loss related to domestic help. Many maids come from environments which are far less fortunate that the lives we in SS20 lead, thus it is unkind of us to expose our maids to unnecessary temptation, don’t leave cash or jewellery lying about, lock them up securely. Be aware of who your maid is socialising with, many a time a maid has unwittingly passed on information which guide a burglar to the valuables in a house and to the weak point to break in or with information about when the house will be empty. Some others willingly provide the information either for a fee or because they have been charmed by a romeo thief. This can even go to the extent of providing spare keys and the code to the alarm system. Take note of your maids’ behaviour, has she started to take a longer time than usual to run errands, this might imply that she is meeting someone outside who may not have honourable intentions, has your maids’ phone/sms traffic suddenly escalated, again this could indicate that a relationship is under way and while there is nothing necessarily wrong with that, it is a potential warning sign and as mentioned before, it is unkind to place temptation in the way.
#8 Snatch theft prevention Simple measures can reduce your exposure to snatch theft but it’s impossible to eliminate the risk. Generally the preventative measures are simple common sense but it’s good just to repeat them for reinforcement. While walking along a road, always carry any bags in your hand away from the traffic so that a passing bike cannot grab the bag as they pass. If there are two of you, carry your bags in-between you. Don’t wear expensive jewellery visibly if you will be walking along a road. Don’t put any valuable down on the table in front of you as you eat or drink. If possible always walk facing the oncoming traffic, that is, walk on the right hand side of the road, even if you are on pavement, then you can see a bike coming toward you and take avoiding action. Don’t carry any kind of bag over your arm or shoulder when riding a bike, use rubber bungee cords to secure your bag to the basket. This makes it harder for anyone to see your bag and hard to grab it. They may try to grab a bag from your arm or shoulder and the consequences, as we have seen in the press recently – can be fatal. Fit an alarm which has an auto-lock feature for your car, these automatically lock the doors as soon as you press the brakes after starting the car. This prevents anyone from opening the door at traffic lights and snatching your handbag, brief case or laptop etc. Plan your trip, whether it be by car, bike or foot; try to avoid being in lonely lanes, make sure you can park in a secure place which is visible to others, preferably visible to security personnel. Don’t park where you are hidden from sight and can easily fall prey to hooligans waiting in the shadows for your return. Pay the extra and get your car valet parked.
#9 Avoid the Trap A tactic that we have all read about in the press is when an obstruction is placed in the road to intentionally puncture a tyre or damage the car. The victim then stops and gets out to examine the damage and is set upon by the thugs. What is never included in the press is any advice on avoiding the danger. If you do experience a puncture or some damage do not stop immediately if you are in a quiet or secluded area or at night. Drive on slowly and very carefully to a place where there are people and only then stop to examine the damage and ask for assistance. Driving on a flat tyre will wreck the tyre (but it was damaged anyway) but if you drive slowly and without any hard cornering, it is likely that the rim won’t be damaged. As you are driving, watch for another vehicle (car or bike) following and if you do notice anyone following, don’t try to drive faster, just stay slow and safe and try to reach a police station or even a condo security pondok.
If you get back to your car after dinner or a meeting and find that it has one or more flat tyres and you are parked in a secluded spot don’t stay at the car, walk away immediately and call a friend (the more the better) to come and help you. Don’t try to change the tyre yourself. Unfortunately, these incidents could even take place in front of our own houses so don’t be fooled into feeling safe just because you are near home.
#10 Unattended property We all have to leave our homes empty at some stage, whether for a couple of days or a couple of weeks. This can be a prime time for thieves to break in as they expect to be undisturbed. Of course your best protection is a proper burglar alarm but there are also other things that you can do to further protect yourself. Buy a (or maybe even two) timer switch. These switches plug into a normal wall socket and then you plug an appliance (a lamp in this instance) into the timer and you can set the appliance to go on and off at specified times throughout the day, this gives an impression of the home being occupied. Set the timer to mimic your normal routine. For example, place the timer and lamp in your bedroom, switch on the lamp for 30 minutes at 6.30am if that the time you usually get up, then have another period with the lamp on in the early evening and finally another period of time with the lamp on at the time that you would usually go to bed. You could also place one in the living room and have it switch on for the time that you might usually be sitting watching tv.
Don’t always clear those annoying advertising leaflets out of your letter box. If you always clear your box completely every day then anyone observing your house knows exactly when you are away. If you pull out the mail but leave the leaflets in your box you can confuse the house watcher.
Tell your neighbours and ask for them to be extra vigilant on your behalf, tell our neighbourhood police and ask for their special attention.
Please be aware the Emergency Number worldwide for GSM Mobile (012, 013, 016, 017, 019) is 112 and not 999.
You can dial 112 even without a Sim Card. If you find yourself out of a coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you.
#11 Inside the fortress Even inside the house there are things that you can do to make life harder for the burglar. Lock the internal doors in the house when you are away, keyed door handles, the type that one side has a key slot and the other a button that you press to lock, are not expensive and add an extra barrier between your possessions and a robber. In fact it’s a good idea to lock you bedroom door at night all the time then even if someone does break in you are kept physically safe. Mostly, bedroom doors open into the room but it is worth considering having them changed (re-hung) to open outwards. Then if the door is locked it is much harder to break it open which gives you added protection. Keep your mobile phone in your bedroom at night or have an extension of your fixed line put into the bedroom. Then if you hear something amiss in your house through the night, you can call the police from the relative safety of your room and not have to go out and face the intruders.
Don’t leave your car keys lying out in an obvious place, no point in having lots of great security on your car if you let the thief have the keys.
Likewise, don’t leave your house keys in an obvious place in particular don’t leave them where a burglar can ‘fish’ for them and poke a long wire or stick through a grille and grab the keys so they then have full access to your home.
Pictures at the top of this topic show how the burglars cut open the grille and then forced the door. Padlocks on a grille should always be placed on the inside. That way it is very hard to get bolt cutters or a saw onto the lug or lock (although it is a little harder to open it yourself). It is also possible to strengthen a door and frame by placing steel plates in strategic places, making it very hard indeed to force open. Best consulting a locksmith for this although the installation is not really too hard.
Although the suggestion of getting a safe is ‘damage limitation’ rather than prevention, it is a very good idea. Second hand hotel safes are often on sale quite cheaply and are generally large enough to secure your most valuable items and documents. These fairly small safes must be properly fixed to the floor otherwise the burglars might carry the whole thing away! Don’t hide your valuables under the mattress or in your underwear drawer, burglars know to look there – and all the other little cubby holes in the house.
#12 Lurkers and stalkers As a community we are becoming more aware of the presence of shady characters driving/riding/walking around our neighbourhood. Of course we should not challenge anyone we feel is acting suspiciously, they could be perfectly innocent or they could be a violent type and we end up getting hurt. The obvious thing is to alert our local police (by SMS as Inspector Thomas has kindly suggested) but we can also take a very simple action that will in most cases, make the person who we are uncomfortable with, move on to another place. That simple action is to take a photograph of them (and bike or car). Most hand-phones these days have a camera so it’s really easy – set the flash on so that it is very obvious that you have snapped them, in fact it’s more important that they think you have a photo than actually taking a photo. Do make sure that you snap the shot from a position of safety, don’t get close enough to where the person could grab you or hurt you. Generally, anyone who has evil intentions (and possibly a criminal record) will move away immediately a photo is taken because if a crime is subsequently committed and the photo is given to the police it places them in a very guilty situation. Actually, (I’m not that IT savvy myself but the idea is good) if you took a photo of a suspicious character on your hand phone you could even MMS it to the police. A word of warning though, NEVER approach a suspicious character yourself, call the police and let the professionals do their job.
If you think that you are being followed as you walk through our neighbourhood, (or anywhere for that matter), first simply quicken your pace, don’t run. If the person behind continues to follow you should look for a place of refuge, a shop or a house that you can see is occupied. Don’t be shy, we all understand and will gladly open the gate and stand with you – then it’s time to take the photo as mentioned above. When you have the photo of someone who has been following it should be sent to the police. The nature of someone who follows (whether the intent is to snatch valuables or inflict physical harm) is such that they WILL repeat the behaviour until they are caught. So if the police are aware of the person and see them hanging around and check their IC it is very likely that they will take their nasty habit to another place until they are finally caught red-handed.
#13 Man’s best friend There is no doubt at all that a dog is an excellent form of security but if you do decide to have a dog you should be a responsible resident and ensure that your dog is properly trained and knows when to bark and when not to. It is very anti-social when a dog barks indiscriminately at any passer-by (or at neighbours) as it disturbs neighbours sleep and frays tempers! It is also self defeating because if a dog barks all the time then nobody will take any notice, if a neighbour knows that a properly trained dog lives next door, he/she will get up out of bed when it barks to see what is wrong and hopefully act appropriately if there is indeed an intruder. Actually, a guard dog does not even need to bark, a well timed growl at an intruder would normally be enough to send them on their way to a less aggressively guarded target. Of course, as well as the real physical protection offered by a well trained dog, it’s very presence is a huge deterrent. Do make sure that it is trained properly because as well as seriously upsetting all those around by unwarranted noise, a properly trained dog will not eat anything unless given by it’s master or family. This is important because it is known for burglars to throw drugged or poisoned meat into a compound to silence a dog prior to breaking in, especially if it can be seen that the dog was the only line of security defence a house has. Lastly, and most importantly, in case I didn’t make it clear before, get your dog properly trained. A good guard dog does not need to be a huge snarling monster, it needs to be a dog who knows exactly when to make noise and if it can present a threat of harm to the intruder all the better – the bite from even a fairly small dog will hurt and need medical attention.
Well, that is the last of the series I wrote. There has been no comment or correction from readers (maybe no readers!) but I do hope what I have written will be of help to some of you and that as a community, we can suppress crime.
Unfortunately the moderator of this blog has seen fit to censor my postings in other threads and the RT has ceased any dialog. I think this was triggered by my questions of proper procedure but generally it seems that our RT only wishes to hear and accept opinions that are in agreement with their own personal feelings – at least that is how it appears when questions are greeted by silence or censor. The fracas on SS20/4 the other week which required police presence was another sad incident – but nobody wants to talk about that!
Rumour has it that the president Ailin Thong has informed RT to remove the drums on 20/4, but to no avail. Is this true RT? If so, when are these drums going??
I am curious to know the reason and purpose of the umbrellas and chairs located at each end of SS20/6. Our RT does not appear to wish to correspond, do any of the people following this blog know? Thanks in advance.
Why are you so concerned about drums or umbrellas or chairs or whatever? These people are helping us....If you want to remove then do it yourself.... Why are you listening to rumours ? Are you not involved in the activity ? If no then you don't talk.
Sick&Tired What exactly is the purpose or value of this forum if not to ask questions or express opinion? Why do you bother to read if you don't think anything should be said? Personally, I don't think that individuals should take action on adding or removing items that you mention - nor should 'these people' take unilateral action. There are procedures and guidelines for the protocols of RT's
Sick&:tired, How right you are, you can indeed find people like me everywhere, some have different language, some different religion, some with different culture and some with different opinions but all basically the same as me, together we form communities. Fortunately rude and ignorant people as you appear to be are less common.
Making a personal attack on a person is usually the tactic of someone who is frustrated because they are either not sufficiently intelligent to form proper replies to questions or because they are afraid that proper replies to questions will expose their wrong-doings. Which is it with you? That you hide behind the anonymity of the name “sick&:tired” indicates that you do in fact realize that your behaviour is not within the realms of decency and you would be ashamed if we all knew who you really are!
I am both grateful to and respectful of those who patrol the area in the evenings but you are very misguided if you believe that the only people who contribute or have voice are those who do patrol. If you read many of the postings above this you will see that I both care about the security here and have spent time contributing to improving the security.
Now that I have responded to your flame, maybe it would be best to discontinue this correspondence between us here as it is neither relevant to the topic of the thread nor is it of any benefit to the security of the neighbourhood.
You are right. There are always people like you in communities.It is too bad.I say too bad because because like a donkey, have to pull your ears before can do any work. Otherwise Nag nag nag only.
27 comments:
Rod said...
I have written down a number of security topics for us all to ponder. I do hope that all the readers find these tips useful, if they require further explanation just post a question and I will do my best to respond. Also feel free to disagree with the posts, some of the items I have written about may have more than one option and a discussion and debate as to the real value of the tips is surely a healthy thing. The topics I have covered are generally physical features or personal action items. Obviously, neighbourly vigilance and support is at the heart of our security. Looking out for each other is the nicest feeling of security we can have, but no matter what community actions we take or what alarms and protection we initiate, we should not allow ourselves to be complacent and believe that we will never become a victim.I really hope that all of you reading my posts will find them useful and will try to pass them on to others who have not joined the blog. I will post each item with at least a day or two gap so that we can discuss any comments, disagreements or additions before moving on. The topics are not in any order of importance or logic, simply as they came into my head to write them down. Some of the items suggest things that would mean spending money. Of course everyone has their own choice to spend or not but a safe house ultimately has a higher resale value and protects your cash and valuables from loss in the first place – not to mention the personal safety factor, which is priceless.
#1Effective GatesYour first line of defence are your gates and fence, front and rear. It is worth examining your gate and fence to make sure that the design does not make it like a ladder which is easy or inviting to climb over. If you find that the construction of your fence and gate really is easy to climb, consider having some minor alterations to it to make it much harder for an intruder to get in and out. You don’t have to make it impossible to climb – just difficult. And don’t neglect the back of the house, in fact it is more important as the majority of break-ins are initiated from the back of a building where it is usually quieter. Most of us have auto-gates these days, when you drive into your front compound, close the gate before you unlock the car door and make sure that you have no uninvited visitors before getting out, especially in the dark, it takes an extra moment or two but it keeps you safer.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Rod said...
#2Door LocksA sturdy door front and rear is a comforting security barricade but it needs to have accessories of appropriate configuration and quality to be effective. Security chains and door viewers are good ideas for anyone but are especially important for a house that someone spends a lot of time alone in. Even though the gate should be closed and locked, if someone is knocking on your door you really do want to know who it is before opening up. Good quality locks are essential but are useless if the strength and quality of the door jamb (frame) is not equally strong. Make sure that your door could not be forced open by simply a heavy kick. I have fitted locks which are keyed outside and inside, by this it is meant that a key is required to lock/unlock the door even from the inside rather than just a turn knob to unlock from inside. This can be criticised as being unsafe in the event of a fire and the need for the occupants to escape without any delay but these locks are only used when the last person leaves the house and it becomes empty. The real benefit of the internal locked door is that anyone breaking in (assuming they have beaten the walls, alarm and grilles etc.) will have to carry their booty out through the way they got in. Thus there is no way that they can open up the front door and carry out the home theatre system or TV.Always buy good quality door locks and pad locks (some are priced crazily but there is no need to go to that sort of extreme, just don’t go for the real cheapies) because the cheaper ones hardly slows an experienced crook at all, they know exactly where to knock it and it just pops open. The other thing about poor quality locks is that they soon wear out and become difficult to open and close smoothly, then you get lazy to use them all the time. At that point they are as good as no lock! A good lock will last for years, operate smoothly and give you peace of mind.Grilles which open should be padlocked shut but all the locks should be the same key, in this way every family member can have a key and in the event of fire, be able to escape via any window or grille. Definitely don’t leave the key to the grille padlocks where they can be reached from outside.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Rod said...
#3Porch LampsThere are two trains of thought on lighting the outside areas of a house at night. Some believe that it offers best safety if a light is left on outside a house all night every night. Certainly it does mean that any intruder is more clearly visible to any patrol, neighbour or passer-by but it also gives an intruder all the light he needs to see how to break into your car or force open a grille and as the light is on every night it does not get a second glance from neighbours. I far prefer the other approach which is motion detected lights. These lights are activated by movement and the moment an intruder triggers the light and is immediately flooded in light he feels very exposed and is much more likely to run away. Also, if someone passing by sees a light go on it is a natural reaction to take a look, probably the intruder will be moving in a way that makes his intentions obvious and if we are a good neighbour we will contact the police immediately. The sensors for the lights are visible in the day time and so act as a deterrent just by being there, they also have the benefit of not annoying others who are trying to sleep by lighting up the road all night long and not wasting electricity. Additionally, they are very convenient when you drive into your front yard at night as the car will trigger them making your parking much safer as you can clearly see where junior left his bicycle! Once again, it’s all the more important at the back of the house. The sensors have sensitivity adjustment so that a small object (like a bird for example) won’t trip the light and the light can be adjusted to stay on for anywhere between a few seconds and a few minutes, depending on the model purchased.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Rod said...
#4Burglar AlarmsThere are several reputable companies in the market, each householder should do their own research to find out which one is doing the best deal for the particular layout, size and configuration of home. Although it is not cheap (my one cost about 2k 3 years ago) the comfort and confidence I have knowing that if any door or window is opened at any time during the night, I (and a good number of you fellow neighbours out there) will know about it immediately. For an additional RM 60 to RM 90 per month most good alarm companies offer an immediate response service automatically linked by way of the phone line. These alarms have a battery back-up which means that even in the event of power outage the alarm still has full function. The alarm is triggered by any one of several methods, there are vibration sensors which detect even very slight movement in a metal grille or proximity sensors which will go off the moment a door or window is opened, there are also motion detectors which can be placed to detect any movement in a hallway or in the ceiling and have sensitivity adjustments so that the inevitable chit-chat or even an unwelcome tikus, will not set the alarm off but a human intruder definitely will. It is also recommended to install an additional siren inside the house. This is to disorientate any intruder who sets the alarm off, they will feel panic (115dB definitely makes you jump and feel disorientated for a moment ) and not be able to hear if someone is coming and will most likely immediately flee the scene in a real hurry. A very cheap but useful option that I took is a ‘panic button’ which is a button that you have strategically installed where you can hit it in the event that you feel threatened or become aware of an intruder but the alarm has not been set or the intruder has somehow evaded detection. This button sets off the alarm and alerts the security center who will then dispatch their officers to the house. These alarm systems all have siren and lamp boxes on an external wall of the house and so are visible to any criminal who is choosing their next victim – a house with an alarm is definitely not going to be a first choice for a burglar! Can’t afford the real system? I once very carefully painted up a suitably sized biscuit tin to look like a popular brand of alarm box and stuck it to the end of my house, with a couple of wires sticking out of it. It might not fool the pro’s but it passed a glancing look and I’m convinced that it was a strong contributor to my security.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
tipstrainingconsultancy said...
Tighten security features of our houses: quality locks, strong reliable grilles, change locks uupon tenant / maid change, alarms....... security starts at home.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Rod said...
#5
Common sense
Of course, it’s all obvious and I’m insulting your intelligence even mentioning these items – so I apologise in advance but I’m going to say the obvious anyway, just for completeness.
Don’t leave a ladder or any structure which can be climbed up in your front or back yard as they can be used to break in at a soft spot on the 1st floor, or as is often the case, taken to a neighbours place and used to break in there or to get over a tall wall.
Don’t leave tools lying around which can be used to force open doors, windows or grilles.
Don’t leave downstairs windows open at night – it’s an invitation to a thief
It’s not like when we grew up, you must lock the door and grilles at night and whenever you go out – no exceptions.
Lock your front and back gate at night, keep them locked in the daytime too, not all burglaries are at night.
Be very wary of who you allow into your home and don’t let anyone see where you keep valuables. It is common for burglaries to happen within a couple of weeks of having had a stranger in the house (particularly temporary workers or new hires), possibly to perform some works or delivery, and it was noted that the house has a pile of cash lying around or particular valuable are in plain sight – just too tempting to resist.
Remember that there are very few ways to make it totally impossible for a thief or burglar to make off with your belongings but there are dozens of ways to make it too difficult for him to feel that it’s worthwhile the risk and effort. Don’t be fooled into a false sense of security. Living in a gated community does not mean that you are immune to theft, it just means that the thieves have to be more organised and plan better but they also have found out that the residents in a gated community become complacent and lazy about security.
Most house owners in SS20 installed iron grilles for their doors & windows. All grilles for the glass doors, usually made of 4 panels, could all be slid to one side if the 2 end panels are not permanently fixed, welded or clamped to the center panels, making them immovable.
Once the grilles are moved to one side, entry via the glass doors is a simple tasks.
Owners, beware, please check your grilles at the glass doors (Rrench Windows) for weak / vulnerable points.
I was given to understand that the break-in at the fishmonger's house in ss20/7 happened on a Sunday during the time a son (last person to leave the house)went out for lunch.
Aside from the fact they probably had poor quality locks and not so reliable grilles (the thieves apparently entered via the glass doors), the following are interesting information to ponder on:
1. Directly opposite the house broken into, renovation was underway.
2. The break-in took probably 1 to 1.5 hours after the last person in the house left for lunch. How could the timing be so perfect unless someone was keeping watch.??
3. Who could have observed the movements in / out the house that well? Bear in mind it happened on a Sunday. All the workers at the opposite house under renovation are resting!
4. SS20Southern Zone committee, please confirm if the following is true: a few weeks ago, the house on the left of the house being renovated in road ss20/7 was also broken into.
Based on the above observations, could the SS20Southen Zone Committee consider the following suggestions:
1. Make all contractors undertaking renovations of long duration compulsorily register all their workers (complete all personal particulars, {finger prints if possible??} and their photos) with the police.
Remind the contractors they are responsible for their workers' actions.
2. Circulate copies of the particulars to the Committee and the neighboring house owners of the house undergoing renovation.
3. Police to frequently screen the contractors' workers at the house being renovated.
4. SS20southern Zone Committee to compile a list of vigilant measures / security tips including information similar to what member "Rod" is posting, to educate and / or remind all the residents on security measures.
This could be published in a form of regular newsletter and distributed to all SS20 (central, southern & northern zones) residents
Dear all
FYI
Yesterday around 5.30pm, a Kancil with no plate JEW3979 with a 40s yr old man was going around SS20/6 slowly and looking at house by house.
I was on my way out from home but returned back and parkced along 22/6 observing him. He was going up and down the area for no less than 15 mins driving slowly.
I smsed Chief Inspector Thomas on this.
Dear Tips - the PDRM are and will take note of all construction workers in the neighbourhood. Their details are recorded with the police.It would also be good if residents can alert the police on any new renovation jobs for them to take note of. For Desmond - good job...we need all the eyes we have to monitor suspicious outsiders.
#6
Vehicular security
Over 1/3rd of the reported crimes in SS20 are vehicle theft (according to RTSS20 provided statistics). As with home security, a car or bike which has visible security features is far less likely to be a target of theft.
The majority of high end vehicles these days have immobilisers which all but make it impossible to steal it and even then, internal tracking devices will lead the authorities straight to the perpetrator. So, if your vehicle is not one of these well protected ones then you will have to take your own measures. Buy and use a sturdy steering steering wheel lock. There are also good gear locks available but unfortunately, many are easy to simply kick off. I found this hard to believe but a friend demonstrated it to me on the seemingly high quality gear lock I had purchased – I was as surprised as I was disturbed. If you have more than one car, park so that one blocks off the rest, to reduce the thief’s’ options.
Another additional security feature you can do is to install a hidden cut-out switch under the dashboard somewhere, go to your auto-electrician and ask him to install the switch to cut power to the fuel pump or to the crank angle sensor or another critical component of the car so that even if the car gets ‘hot wired’, the car won’t run until you flick the switch. The same goes for a motor bike, a secret switch cutting a vital circuit will make it too time consuming for a thief to steal your bike, it’s a very cheap and extremely effective security measure.
Think carefully about where you park, if you park in a back lane, a thief will feel that he has more time to break in undetected than if the car or bike is parked on a busy road and he won’t be so worried about making a bit of noise, maybe even feel bold enough to break a side window to get in. Much better to park inside your own gates.
Don’t leave valuables visible in a car, it’s asking to get the window smashed, even if it’s parked in your driveway.
For motor cycles, install a large eye-bolt in the wall or ground as close as possible to where you normally park the bike, have a length of heavy chain welded to the bolt before installing it and wrap the chain around the frame of the bike every time it’s parked. Of course the chain can be cut with big bolt croppers but the thief has to be pretty determined to get your bike – thieves are by definition lazy and so if there is another bike without a big chain holding it to the ground he will surely take that option.
#7
Domestic security
It is wrong to tar all maids with the same brush. Many are valued and trusted members of a household who become a loved part of the family, it is therefore with advance apologies to those hard-working and kind souls and their families that some uncomfortable elements of a minority within are written here. The truth is that there are few amongst us who have not heard a sad story of loss related to domestic help.
Many maids come from environments which are far less fortunate that the lives we in SS20 lead, thus it is unkind of us to expose our maids to unnecessary temptation, don’t leave cash or jewellery lying about, lock them up securely.
Be aware of who your maid is socialising with, many a time a maid has unwittingly passed on information which guide a burglar to the valuables in a house and to the weak point to break in or with information about when the house will be empty. Some others willingly provide the information either for a fee or because they have been charmed by a romeo thief. This can even go to the extent of providing spare keys and the code to the alarm system.
Take note of your maids’ behaviour, has she started to take a longer time than usual to run errands, this might imply that she is meeting someone outside who may not have honourable intentions, has your maids’ phone/sms traffic suddenly escalated, again this could indicate that a relationship is under way and while there is nothing necessarily wrong with that, it is a potential warning sign and as mentioned before, it is unkind to place temptation in the way.
#8
Snatch theft prevention
Simple measures can reduce your exposure to snatch theft but it’s impossible to eliminate the risk. Generally the preventative measures are simple common sense but it’s good just to repeat them for reinforcement. While walking along a road, always carry any bags in your hand away from the traffic so that a passing bike cannot grab the bag as they pass.
If there are two of you, carry your bags in-between you.
Don’t wear expensive jewellery visibly if you will be walking along a road.
Don’t put any valuable down on the table in front of you as you eat or drink.
If possible always walk facing the oncoming traffic, that is, walk on the right hand side of the road, even if you are on pavement, then you can see a bike coming toward you and take avoiding action.
Don’t carry any kind of bag over your arm or shoulder when riding a bike, use rubber bungee cords to secure your bag to the basket. This makes it harder for anyone to see your bag and hard to grab it. They may try to grab a bag from your arm or shoulder and the consequences, as we have seen in the press recently – can be fatal.
Fit an alarm which has an auto-lock feature for your car, these automatically lock the doors as soon as you press the brakes after starting the car. This prevents anyone from opening the door at traffic lights and snatching your handbag, brief case or laptop etc.
Plan your trip, whether it be by car, bike or foot; try to avoid being in lonely lanes, make sure you can park in a secure place which is visible to others, preferably visible to security personnel. Don’t park where you are hidden from sight and can easily fall prey to hooligans waiting in the shadows for your return. Pay the extra and get your car valet parked.
#9
Avoid the Trap
A tactic that we have all read about in the press is when an obstruction is placed in the road to intentionally puncture a tyre or damage the car. The victim then stops and gets out to examine the damage and is set upon by the thugs. What is never included in the press is any advice on avoiding the danger.
If you do experience a puncture or some damage do not stop immediately if you are in a quiet or secluded area or at night. Drive on slowly and very carefully to a place where there are people and only then stop to examine the damage and ask for assistance. Driving on a flat tyre will wreck the tyre (but it was damaged anyway) but if you drive slowly and without any hard cornering, it is likely that the rim won’t be damaged. As you are driving, watch for another vehicle (car or bike) following and if you do notice anyone following, don’t try to drive faster, just stay slow and safe and try to reach a police station or even a condo security pondok.
If you get back to your car after dinner or a meeting and find that it has one or more flat tyres and you are parked in a secluded spot don’t stay at the car, walk away immediately and call a friend (the more the better) to come and help you. Don’t try to change the tyre yourself. Unfortunately, these incidents could even take place in front of our own houses so don’t be fooled into feeling safe just because you are near home.
#10
Unattended property
We all have to leave our homes empty at some stage, whether for a couple of days or a couple of weeks. This can be a prime time for thieves to break in as they expect to be undisturbed. Of course your best protection is a proper burglar alarm but there are also other things that you can do to further protect yourself.
Buy a (or maybe even two) timer switch. These switches plug into a normal wall socket and then you plug an appliance (a lamp in this instance) into the timer and you can set the appliance to go on and off at specified times throughout the day, this gives an impression of the home being occupied. Set the timer to mimic your normal routine. For example, place the timer and lamp in your bedroom, switch on the lamp for 30 minutes at 6.30am if that the time you usually get up, then have another period with the lamp on in the early evening and finally another period of time with the lamp on at the time that you would usually go to bed. You could also place one in the living room and have it switch on for the time that you might usually be sitting watching tv.
Don’t always clear those annoying advertising leaflets out of your letter box. If you always clear your box completely every day then anyone observing your house knows exactly when you are away. If you pull out the mail but leave the leaflets in your box you can confuse the house watcher.
Tell your neighbours and ask for them to be extra vigilant on your behalf, tell our neighbourhood police and ask for their special attention.
Please be aware the Emergency Number worldwide for GSM Mobile (012, 013, 016, 017, 019) is 112 and not 999.
You can dial 112 even without a Sim Card. If you find yourself out of a coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you.
#11
Inside the fortress
Even inside the house there are things that you can do to make life harder for the burglar.
Lock the internal doors in the house when you are away, keyed door handles, the type that one side has a key slot and the other a button that you press to lock, are not expensive and add an extra barrier between your possessions and a robber. In fact it’s a good idea to lock you bedroom door at night all the time then even if someone does break in you are kept physically safe. Mostly, bedroom doors open into the room but it is worth considering having them changed (re-hung) to open outwards. Then if the door is locked it is much harder to break it open which gives you added protection. Keep your mobile phone in your bedroom at night or have an extension of your fixed line put into the bedroom. Then if you hear something amiss in your house through the night, you can call the police from the relative safety of your room and not have to go out and face the intruders.
Don’t leave your car keys lying out in an obvious place, no point in having lots of great security on your car if you let the thief have the keys.
Likewise, don’t leave your house keys in an obvious place in particular don’t leave them where a burglar can ‘fish’ for them and poke a long wire or stick through a grille and grab the keys so they then have full access to your home.
Pictures at the top of this topic show how the burglars cut open the grille and then forced the door. Padlocks on a grille should always be placed on the inside. That way it is very hard to get bolt cutters or a saw onto the lug or lock (although it is a little harder to open it yourself). It is also possible to strengthen a door and frame by placing steel plates in strategic places, making it very hard indeed to force open. Best consulting a locksmith for this although the installation is not really too hard.
Although the suggestion of getting a safe is ‘damage limitation’ rather than prevention, it is a very good idea. Second hand hotel safes are often on sale quite cheaply and are generally large enough to secure your most valuable items and documents. These fairly small safes must be properly fixed to the floor otherwise the burglars might carry the whole thing away! Don’t hide your valuables under the mattress or in your underwear drawer, burglars know to look there – and all the other little cubby holes in the house.
#12
Lurkers and stalkers
As a community we are becoming more aware of the presence of shady characters driving/riding/walking around our neighbourhood. Of course we should not challenge anyone we feel is acting suspiciously, they could be perfectly innocent or they could be a violent type and we end up getting hurt. The obvious thing is to alert our local police (by SMS as Inspector Thomas has kindly suggested) but we can also take a very simple action that will in most cases, make the person who we are uncomfortable with, move on to another place. That simple action is to take a photograph of them (and bike or car). Most hand-phones these days have a camera so it’s really easy – set the flash on so that it is very obvious that you have snapped them, in fact it’s more important that they think you have a photo than actually taking a photo. Do make sure that you snap the shot from a position of safety, don’t get close enough to where the person could grab you or hurt you. Generally, anyone who has evil intentions (and possibly a criminal record) will move away immediately a photo is taken because if a crime is subsequently committed and the photo is given to the police it places them in a very guilty situation. Actually, (I’m not that IT savvy myself but the idea is good) if you took a photo of a suspicious character on your hand phone you could even MMS it to the police. A word of warning though, NEVER approach a suspicious character yourself, call the police and let the professionals do their job.
If you think that you are being followed as you walk through our neighbourhood, (or anywhere for that matter), first simply quicken your pace, don’t run. If the person behind continues to follow you should look for a place of refuge, a shop or a house that you can see is occupied. Don’t be shy, we all understand and will gladly open the gate and stand with you – then it’s time to take the photo as mentioned above. When you have the photo of someone who has been following it should be sent to the police. The nature of someone who follows (whether the intent is to snatch valuables or inflict physical harm) is such that they WILL repeat the behaviour until they are caught. So if the police are aware of the person and see them hanging around and check their IC it is very likely that they will take their nasty habit to another place until they are finally caught red-handed.
#13
Man’s best friend
There is no doubt at all that a dog is an excellent form of security but if you do decide to have a dog you should be a responsible resident and ensure that your dog is properly trained and knows when to bark and when not to. It is very anti-social when a dog barks indiscriminately at any passer-by (or at neighbours) as it disturbs neighbours sleep and frays tempers! It is also self defeating because if a dog barks all the time then nobody will take any notice, if a neighbour knows that a properly trained dog lives next door, he/she will get up out of bed when it barks to see what is wrong and hopefully act appropriately if there is indeed an intruder. Actually, a guard dog does not even need to bark, a well timed growl at an intruder would normally be enough to send them on their way to a less aggressively guarded target. Of course, as well as the real physical protection offered by a well trained dog, it’s very presence is a huge deterrent. Do make sure that it is trained properly because as well as seriously upsetting all those around by unwarranted noise, a properly trained dog will not eat anything unless given by it’s master or family. This is important because it is known for burglars to throw drugged or poisoned meat into a compound to silence a dog prior to breaking in, especially if it can be seen that the dog was the only line of security defence a house has. Lastly, and most importantly, in case I didn’t make it clear before, get your dog properly trained. A good guard dog does not need to be a huge snarling monster, it needs to be a dog who knows exactly when to make noise and if it can present a threat of harm to the intruder all the better – the bite from even a fairly small dog will hurt and need medical attention.
Well, that is the last of the series I wrote. There has been no comment or correction from readers (maybe no readers!) but I do hope what I have written will be of help to some of you and that as a community, we can suppress crime.
Unfortunately the moderator of this blog has seen fit to censor my postings in other threads and the RT has ceased any dialog. I think this was triggered by my questions of proper procedure but generally it seems that our RT only wishes to hear and accept opinions that are in agreement with their own personal feelings – at least that is how it appears when questions are greeted by silence or censor. The fracas on SS20/4 the other week which required police presence was another sad incident – but nobody wants to talk about that!
Rumour has it that the president Ailin Thong has informed RT to remove the drums on 20/4, but to no avail. Is this true RT? If so, when are these drums going??
I am curious to know the reason and purpose of the umbrellas and chairs located at each end of SS20/6. Our RT does not appear to wish to correspond, do any of the people following this blog know?
Thanks in advance.
Why are you so concerned about drums or umbrellas or chairs or whatever? These people are helping us....If you want to remove then do it yourself.... Why are you listening to rumours ? Are you not involved in the activity ? If no then you don't talk.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO POSTINGS HAVE BEEN CENSORED - JUST REPOSITIONED
Sick&Tired What exactly is the purpose or value of this forum if not to ask questions or express opinion? Why do you bother to read if you don't think anything should be said?
Personally, I don't think that individuals should take action on adding or removing items that you mention - nor should 'these people' take unilateral action. There are procedures and guidelines for the protocols of RT's
Aiyahh....anything people want to do also you want to coment. Ask you to do something you got no time. People like you evry where also got. Very cheap
Sick&:tired, How right you are, you can indeed find people like me everywhere, some have different language, some different religion, some with different culture and some with different opinions but all basically the same as me, together we form communities. Fortunately rude and ignorant people as you appear to be are less common.
Making a personal attack on a person is usually the tactic of someone who is frustrated because they are either not sufficiently intelligent to form proper replies to questions or because they are afraid that proper replies to questions will expose their wrong-doings. Which is it with you? That you hide behind the anonymity of the name “sick&:tired” indicates that you do in fact realize that your behaviour is not within the realms of decency and you would be ashamed if we all knew who you really are!
I am both grateful to and respectful of those who patrol the area in the evenings but you are very misguided if you believe that the only people who contribute or have voice are those who do patrol. If you read many of the postings above this you will see that I both care about the security here and have spent time contributing to improving the security.
Now that I have responded to your flame, maybe it would be best to discontinue this correspondence between us here as it is neither relevant to the topic of the thread nor is it of any benefit to the security of the neighbourhood.
You are right. There are always people like you in communities.It is too bad.I say too bad because because like a donkey, have to pull your ears before can do any work. Otherwise Nag nag nag only.
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