I had an awesome meeting with a client in Williamsport during the 7″ snow storm on Saturday (1/10/09). Mr. and Mrs. Burton needed a burglar alarm system ASAP. Mr. Burton called to cancel the meeting because of the horrible road conditions and my 45 min travel time. I laughed when I told him, “That’s why I have a 4×4!” I met the couple early Saturday morning in their home. After getting to know them and listening to their needs, I recommended a product that I felt fit their needs to a tee. The Burton Family invested in a burglar alarm in their home AND did all the paper work prior to my departure! They have heard nothing but good things about Select Security and are looking forward to becoming part of our family.

Mr. Tod M. Steese
Account Executive
Select Security
(570) 217-6284 / Cellular
(570) 327-3000 / Williamsport Office
1-877-877-0345 / Corporate HQ

Tags: Burglar Alarm, Burton, Tod Steese, Williamsport PA

As the holiday season hustles and bustle continues it is important to remember that while you are thinking of what to get for Mom, criminals are thinking about how to take your money before you get to the mall. But it’s not just the mall you need to worry about. Today online shopping has become the preferred means of a quick and efficient shopping experience without having to get up at 4am to get the early bird specials! Still, the current economy is poor… we are in one of the most difficult and trying times, financially, in our country’s history. Thousands of jobs are being lost per day. Statistically crime rates increase when employment numbers decrease. So with such a volatile time at hand what can you do to protect yourself?

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Layers upon layers are not only the best deterrent, but the best defense against break ins.

Reason: It is easy for a criminal to bypass a single line of defense. Multiple layers not only slow him, but serve as a means to alert you or your neighbors that someone is trying to break in. Doing these “layered walk-aways” makes it more difficult for a criminal to meet his criteria of quick and unobserved entry. If, like the tip of an iceberg, enough of these deterrents are visible, most of the time the would-be intruder will simply choose not to even try. If he does try, then the layers he did not see will impede him.

A good example of a layered defense is rosebushes outside the window, double-locked, barred and safety coated side windows and something difficult to climb over inside under the window.

Tags: Home Security, Layer Security, Tips

A lock is not enough, you must also address the area around it. You need to extend your thinking about security measures to 18 and twenty four inches around the lock itself. That is the area you must protect.

Reason: A burglar doesn’t care how much damage he causes getting in. The best locks in the world will do no good if he smashes the door in. A pinewood door frame will splinter and give way after a few savage kicks. The backdoor deadbolt can often be bypassed by just breaking a window and reaching through to unlock it. Windows can be broken and locks undone. Many locked gates can be opened by simply reaching around and over. A hasp-and-lock will swiftly yield to blows from a even a small sledgehammer.

Tags: Home Security, Lock Location, Tips

Especially where no one should be… this way, you know something isn’t right when they go off.

Reason: Most people put safety lights where they do the least good. While they illuminate your approach as you pull into your driveway, such lights are often hard to see if you are indoors. Put them along the side of the house or back, so that someone lurking there sets them off.

Position them so you can see when they go on. The lights are adjustable, so even if you have a blind wall you can turn the lights so they will both illuminate an area and attract your attention. Put them high enough so that they cannot be knocked out of service by someone jumping.

Look into low voltage and/or solar powered outdoor lighting. This kind of lighting illuminates your property at very little cost.

Tags: Home Security, Motion Detectors, Tips