In a recent Business Crime Prevention notification by Staffordshire Police, the establishment highlighted the importance of business security and ‘how to keep your business secure from thieves’. Further to which, our team at SGS Systems thought it would be useful to share with business owners across the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Businesses are valuable and so as a company owner it is vital that you protect your premises as a complete entity. Business security, covers all aspects from the building itself, to employee safety and protecting stock, equipment and machinery.

Reducing access to thieves and demonstrating to them that you have property security in place is the first step to reducing a potential break-in.

Staffordshire police recommend the following business security options:

1. Installing an operational commercial security alarm. Business security alarms not only alert attention should a break-in attempt occur but also their visible bell box sticker informs thieves that there is an alarm operating on-site.
2. Installing CCTV inside and outside the premises. CCTV security provides business owners with all year property monitoring 24/7 across their premises whilst they are on-site or away from the property.
3. Move high value goods away from view when you are closed and fit a floor bolted safe. Avoiding temptation is the best option for your livelihood. Locking away goods into designated areas by using Access Control security or by other means of protection will safeguard stock.

To find out how SGS Systems can support your company with any of the above in terms of business commercial security, please get in touch. We support many customers and markets across the UK from manufacturing companies to retailers and warehousing, hotel and leisure facilities. Our dedicated team will provide the right security solution to individually suit your business requirements.

You can read the full article by Staffordshire Police at: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/business-robbery/protect-your-business/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn

On Sunday 25^th October 2020, the clocks will go back by 1 hour to mark the beginning of British wintertime; this means that 6am will become 5am.  On the bright side, we’ll enjoy an extra hour in bed to begin with and for the first few weeks we can enjoy the day light when waking up first thing in the morning. However, at the other end of the day BST 7pm will become 6pm which means that it will be dark when we are returning home from a day at work.

Whether you are a homeowner or renting, keeping homes and yourselves safe through the shorter day light hours of British wintertime is extremely important to everyone, with securing property being a top priority.

Here at SGS Systems we provide security solutions to help customers to consistently protect their property throughout the year. Here are some solutions which may help you to find the best form of protection for your home.

Newly installed Burglar Alarms – fitted to SSAIB accreditation, our house burglar alarms are produced and installed to a high UK standard. Our home security systems are regularly tested and are available in both wired and wireless options which can be scaled to the size of the property, no matter how big or small.

Upgrading an existing Home Security Alarm – If the property has a previously installed burglar security alarm which is provide by a different supplier, then not a problem! SGS Systems test and maintain security alarms of many individual manufactured brands which are provided by other suppliers.  On your behalf, we can check their condition of the burglar alarm and the suitability to your property.

Security Lighting – Throughout British wintertime, security lighting plays a key role in visibly illuminating the exterior areas of homes, gardens and outdoor spaces. Censor lights can illuminate areas, especially doorways and drives where light is needed. Security lighting systems also act as a deterrent to intruders.

Home CCTV Monitoring – Internal and external surveillance for your home, both day and night always gives piece of mind to owners. Capturing suspicious movements on camera can also be used as evidence should a theft situation ever arise.

Security through your phone – SMART security has never been so important and with 24 hour access via smartphone, our range of SGS Systems security services can be accessed whilst you are at home or otherwise away from the property, at the touch of an app.

To find out more about protection your home through British wintertime and beyond, please speak to our property security team or see our website for further details.

Blogs used to write this article:

• https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change

Recently, there has been a spate rise in tool theft from outbuildings within rural across the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

Farm outbuildings which are not always left occupied and neither locked securely, provide easy targets to thieves who are looking to quickly sell items onwards.  Subsequently, expensive tools can hold their value which means that stolen tools sold through the black market or on social media selling websites can earn a good price for thieves.

It is not only tool theft but also the theft of farm machinery is also on the rise as overseas demand for expensive farm equipment rises. Operated by organised gangs, farm machinery is stolen and then shipped abroad. Farmers are being encouraged to share information and report thefts to the police so that they can track unscrupulous activity within the region.

Further to this, Staffordshire Police recommend the following suggestions to reduce tool theft and improve security on farmland:

Reducing tool theft

1. Lock equipment away in a securely locked building
2. Use a secure tool storage box
3. Mark your tools and register them
4. Keep expensive items out of sight when not in use
5. Lock vehicles and keep the keys within your possession
6. Consider installing outside security lighting
7. Install commercial security to protect outbuildings and external areas

As a certified security partner to the NFU, SGS Systems supply CCTV security at a discounted rate to NFU members. Furthermore, we supply farm security, outbuilding alarm security and equestrian property security to farm owners and land managers who are looking to secure their property and protect against tool theft. To find out how we can help to protect your farm machinery, equipment and livestock, please contact our commercial security team or see our website for further details.

Blogs used to write this article:

• Rural crime prevention –

https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rc/rural-crime/rural-crime-prevention/

• https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/crime/2020/08/04/call-for-more-action-to-protect-farms-against-rural-crime-wave/

With more properties been vacant during the day, house burglary is on the rise. It is September and that means that many young people will be returning to school and college.  At the same, their parents and carers are now looking to return to work following the 2020 five month lockdown period whereby many found themselves spending more hours working from home rather than from their usual office location.

Remote home working has provided a positive deterrent to intruders and helped to reduce the overall number of house break-ins across the country. Incidentally, the number of break-ins fell by almost a half within some areas of the West Midlands according to a recent article by the expressandstar.com –https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2020/08/20/burglaries-plummet-due-to-impact-of-lockdown/ .

However, as restrictions have begun to ease over recent months, the house burglary level is now beginning to see a rise again.  Homes which were predominantly occupied for many hours of the day are now becoming empty again, this situation is increasing house burglary opportunities to unwelcomed intruders.

Tips to deter a house burglary

If you plan to leave your property un-inhabited during the day, SGS Systems recommend the following to keep your homes secure:

1. Ensure all windows and doors are locked before you leave the property.
2. Move bins away from under windows and lock away ladders. These items can be used as climbing devices to gain easy entry to higher level windows.
3. Don’t leave expensive digital gadgets and games consoles visibly on show through windows
4. Outside, remove tall bushes and shrubs which are close to the property which could obscure your view and where unwanted intruders could hide behind.
5. Install security lighting to illuminate the property at night, especially in secluded areas.
6. Consider installing a SGS Systems house security alarm device within your property. We offer a range of house alarms to suit all sized homes in both wired and wireless options.

To find out more about how we can protect your property with a house security alarm or by using any other of our house burglary deterrent products such as CCTV home security and security lighting, please contact us to today to discuss your requirements in respect of a confidential home review.

Blogs used to write this article:

• Burglaries plummet due to impact of lockdown – https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2020/08/20/burglaries-plummet-due-to-impact-of-lockdown/

Over recent months, SGS Systems and our health and safety team has worked closely to risk assess and minimise the implications of COVID in respect to both customers and employees, when visiting your commercial or domestic premises to carry out our security alarm and CCTV installation, testing and maintenance duties.

General Guidance

As a reputable security installer for the West Midlands and the UK our security engineers and business team have been briefed with the following information to ensure safety.

1. One security engineer per vehicle at all times, when travelling to and from an appointment / callout.
2. 2-meter social distancing is adhered to by all engineers whilst on all site and within our SGS Systems office.
3. Gloves and masks to be worn when more than one person is on site and social distancing is not possible.
4. Hands are regularly washed or sanitised
5. All PPE for daily work schedule is provided by SGS Systems Ltd
6. New gloves are used for each individual appointment / callout

Visiting a Property

We respect that the property is your home or your place of work and that adhering to COVID rules whilst visiting your property is essential for your protection.

Our security engineers will only attend your property with the following in COVID working conditions in place:

1. All security engineers will enter a property using their own PPE protection which is allocated as a new PPE set per job / domestic visit
2. We ask customers to stay at least 2 metres apart from engineers or even in another room where possible
3. We ask customers to use their own pen for signing any documentation
4. All PPE is removed safely after each job / domestic visit to avoid any cross-contamination

We would like to thank all our commercial and domestic customers for their continued support. For more information please contact our team. We will be happy to discuss your requirements and questions with regards to site visits in terms of security alarm and CCTV installation, security, testing and maintenance duties.

With the rise of the UK warmer weather over recent weeks, sadly West Midlands burglaries are accelerating again. The hotter weather often inspires us to throw open our home windows and doors, but sadly in terms of security this puts our property at risk. Unwanted intruders are easily tempted by easy access opportunities which lay before them.

With this in mind, SGS Systems are reminding all customers and household owners to remember to close and lock your windows and doors when you leave the property and don’t leave any valuables on show to prevent the misfortune of a burglary. This especially applies digital equipment such as smartphones, tablets and headphones which are of high value and can be effortlessly sold on through contacts and selling websites, making them easy targets for petty criminals should they see them on show.

Highlighting concerns around West Midlands burglaries, comes at a time when a new campaign by Neighbourhood Watch and in partnership with the Home Office called ‘Safety in Neighbours’ has recently launched here the UK. As burglaries are estimated to rise further due to lockdown restrictions easing, the aim of the campaign is to create a social media message which will encourage homeowners to be vigilant and to keep an eye out as to any un-toward activity within the road where they live in and the surrounding local area.

Here at SGS Systems we encourage homeowners to have a house security alarm installed or if they have an existing device then we urge households to have them tested. Our company can service and maintain any other installed brand of house alarm to check that it is operating correctly and upgrade if necessary. For more information on protecting your home please see our house alarm website pages for more details or speak to our security advisors with regards to a confidential review of your property.

Find out more at:

https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/get-involved/support-campaign/safety-neighbours-campaign

SGS Systems Ltd would like to inform customers that we will be operating as key worker status – low tier level throughout this period.   We are able to attend to essential maintenance works and out of hours call with regards to our security services.

Please contact us on our main telephone number – 01902 700687 for further information.