Safety tips from the experts… Police commanders, CCTV specialist advises on how to protect your property

Oct 25, 2016 News

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Almost every time you open the daily newspapers, there is always news of bandits carrying out brazen attacks on someone’s home or business place.
In some cases, the situation results in serious injuries and even death.
Take for instance, just last Thursday a 44-year-old man was shot and killed when five armed bandits pounced on his family at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
For a little money and jewellery, it seems as though these persons are willing to do anything.
If you check the news, you will see that every day bandits pounce on unsuspecting victims, and while some persons are lucky to escape unhurt, others are not that fortunate.
At a security forum on Friday, former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Retired Brigadier General, Mark Phillips, said that the incidence of gun-related crime in the country is at its highest.
He told the gathering, “No one is safe from violent crimes and criminal activities.” He said that it is only a matter of time before the criminals “attack anyone of us.”
In order to keep these bandits away from your loved ones and to safeguard your homes and businesses, there are certain security measures you must take to keep these people away.
Police Commanders, Clifton Hicken of ‘A’ Division; Leslie James of ‘D’ Division; Marlon Chapman of ‘C’ Division; and Kevin Adonis of ‘G’ Division offered some professional advice to home and business owners.
An interview was also done with Somal Sharma, one of the directors from Innovative IT Solutions (IITS).
Mr. Sharma, who is specialised in closed-circuit television (CCTV) installation, offered some tips for persons, who want to safeguard their premises.
Commanders
In an exclusive interview, Commander Adonis said that security is everyone’s asset. “You are responsible for yourself and if you don’t have it (security of any form) then you don’t respect your own self and your business.”
Adonis said that you find cases where people have CCTV on their homes but those who own businesses do not have any form of security—“they are not thinking.”
He stressed that in order to protect personal assets; CCTV can be used to scare off bandits who fear that their identity might be exposed.
Also, for businesses, alarms can be installed and security guards can be hired for protection purposes.
Next to share his views on the safety and security of one’s assets was Commander Chapman.
Chapman said that many times people withdraw large amounts of money from the bank and move around with no form of security.
“This should be prohibited because you have persons tracking people from the bank and then robbing them. If you have to make these withdrawals, then it should be done under security. People can contact private security firms to carry out their transaction,” the commander opined.
As it relates to break and enter of homes, Chapman said that persons should inform their neighbours when they will be absent from their residence, so that these neighbours can look out for any suspicious or strange activities.
“People should also form themselves in community policing groups to look out for each other.” He also said that the security camera is another way of protecting your place.
Meanwhile, Leslie James said that security should be around the clock. “You are the owner of the business and it is in your interest to protect it.”
James said that when investing in businesses or when constructing a house, a part of the investment should speak to the security aspect of the building or business.
“When you are dealing with the planning of the business, think about security guards, cameras and alarms. You must protect your property,” James pointed out.
Clifton Hicken, who leads the busiest division in the country—‘A’ Division, said that CCTV is just the first stage of the planning process.
He said that networking is the second and most important part of the security process. “You must ensure that you look out for each other. When things happen, call each other and call the police, call the commander.”
Hicken said that networking with each other in the community is important.
Tips on CCTV
When installing security cameras on your property, make sure whatever footage is recorded can be clearly seen and is not blurred.
Sometimes, persons install cameras but when an incident occurs, it is difficult to recognise what was recorded. That is because the quality of the cameras is very low.
“You can get a complete 16 channel camera system for a few hundred bucks online but those systems are not effective as advertised,” Sharma said.
He added that he experienced many cases where businesses installed low quality cameras and when a robbery occurred, it was difficult to recognise the bandits’ faces or the number plate of the getaway car.
“Those situations are difficult on businesses because what these people lose is more than what it would have cost them to install proper devices,” the businessman, who has been in this field for more than 15 years, pointed out.
He said that as someone who installs these surveillance system, sometimes he has no choice but to install what the customers want, even though he knows it is just a waste of money and time.
This newspaper was told that investing in security cameras is not just an investment but a wise one.
He advised that if home and business owners are thinking about purchasing cameras, they should seek advice from their IT person before making a purchase.
Also, to prevent being exploited, customers should request a demonstration of the system.
“Many times you would read in the news that the bandits escaped with their victims DVRs but there is a way you can outsmart these people, so when they think they have the footage, they don’t because, it is stored elsewhere,” Sharma revealed.
IITS is a company specialised in computer repairs, security cameras, solar panel, networking and point of sale.

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