Fri 1 Feb 2008
Safe as houses
Efficient home security is a vital weapon in the battle against the burglars. Nicky Adams checks out the very latest deterrents.It's a sad fact of life in the UK that around two per cent of households are burgled every year, but it is a sure bet that very many more were attempted and successfully thwarted by efficient home security. No surprise then that buyers place a security system high on their wish list when choosing a brand new home.
"We have seen a marked increase in the number of security products being specified for new-build schemes," says John White, sales director of electronic home security system manufacturer SECOM. "With the downturn in the economy, crime against properties such as burglaries is on the increase, and we predict an upturn in the residential sector of the home security business."According to research carried out recently by GfK Consumer Omnibus for the home security company ADT, 69 per cent of homeowners believe they are more at risk of violent burglaries today than they were ten years ago. A decade of increased policing and longer sentences has not resulted in a reduction in the perceived threat posed by criminals entering the home. In fact, 41 per cent of the home owners surveyed admitted to keeping some form of 'weapon' to hand in case of break-ins. Ten per cent of 45- to 54-year-olds even confessed that they had bought a knife or gun for this very purpose.
It's clear that, these days, a simple alarm with a flashing box on the wall is not nearly enough to dissuade the most determined of career cat burglars from attempting a break-in, and developers are looking at ever more sophisticated methods of keeping the criminals at bay. Rather than just bolting-on ready-made products, developers are now tending to team up with home security manufacturers and suppliers who can tailor-make systems to suit the demands of the project.
"To stand out from the crowd, developers should ensure that they partner with a security provider who can offer innovative designs to add value to their property and to ensure that their homeowners can secure their assets," says White. "They need to be looking at the very latest technology in monitoring. Developers who choose to install an alarm system with just audible capability are doing little more than paying lip-service to security."
With such an array of gadgetry and sci-fi inspired home protection on offer, integration is certainly the name of the game when it comes to specifying the most effective of home security systems. While the component parts of the system can be selected for their suitability to the project, the real art is in linking them together to create an effective barrier to the burglar. Technology in this sector is advancing by leaps and bounds, and the latest wireless and IP broadband enabled devices can now be added to the house's in-built cabled communications system, with the result that its occupants are well protected wherever they may be.
Both the exterior and the interior of the house can be fitted with security devices that are networked to the house's multi-room entertainment, lighting and information technology system for maximum control by the owner. But when there is no-one at home these can be switched to connect directly to a customer monitoring centre, which will alert the homeowner by mobile phone, or summon the police if necessary.
This type of networking is particularly useful as support for exterior security devices, most notably including CCTV. Once considered uncomfortably 'big brother', closed circuit television monitoring is becoming increasingly popular, especially for high-profile developments and those with extensive outbuildings or land. CCTV systems are generally wired into the home communication network, with a computer or television screen tuned to receive a choice of images being fed from cameras positioned strategically outside the home. As well as being able to monitor what is going on outside the front door and beyond, CCTV systems have the added advantage of recording what they see, the results of which can then be used as vital evidence in the event of a prosecution. "The monitor alerts the homeowner to a caller being recorded by means of an audible chime," says John White, "so that they can view and take the appropriate action. Images are stored and can be reviewed later or deleted."
CCTV-connected lighting is also proving popular with developers. As well as triggering the CCTV system, anyone setting foot on the property and picked up by the CCTV sensor will automatically activate a powerful halogen spotlight.
If the would-be burglar should manage to make his way as far as the front door, though, then access control is the next line of defence. "Major visual changes have taken place at the door panel," explains Peter Hill, sales director at Videx Security. "A door panel can have either call progress LEDs or an LCD visitor information display which will inform a visitor of the call's progress from call initiation through to door lock operation."Smart wall-mounted devices containing tiny cameras and microphones give extraordinarily high quality sound and vision and can be fitted at all points of entry to the house, including gates, and can be integrated with the home protection system to allow the occupant to see and speak to anyone seeking to be allowed in. Not only do these allow the homeowner to keep an eye out for anyone attempting to break in, but they are also a very effective way to screen unwelcome and bogus callers without needing to open the front door.
Non-contact security access is also becoming more common and consists of a pad by the door, which recognises a signal from a fob carried by authorised visitors. "Fob access has been an accepted form of access control for many years and is used extensively within the security industry," explains Hill. "The latest systems to be taken up by developers include new cost-effective stand-alone (one door) and networkable (up to 64 doors) non-contact proximity systems."
All doors, including the front door, and every window can be fitted with contacts that are wired into the home security system and detect any unauthorised entry. These consist of two halves, one attached to the door or window and another to its meeting point on the frame. Once the system is set, any detachment of the sensors can be programmed to either sound an alert or to connect directly to a customer monitoring centre. Similarly, window contacts are becoming ever more sophisticated, with sensors that detect not just that the window has been opened, but also if the glass has been smashed.
Inside the house, infra-red movement sensors placed in vulnerable areas now detect intruders faster than ever before and can be programmed to immediately sound the alert, or connect to the customer monitoring centre. Sensors can also be fitted to detect the first signs of flooding in basements or on the ground floor of an at-risk property, while carbon monoxide detectors pick up a whiff of the silent killer and raise the alarm.
Home automation systems are also being specified more frequently. A series of timers connected to power and lighting points throughout the home, this networked system allows the owner to activate heating, audio systems, lighting and even outdoor irrigation and the operation of gates when no-one is at home.
One of the fastest growing areas of home security though is the personal attack alarm, which can be worn by the occupant for peace of mind anywhere in the house. Useful for homeowners, it is also being increasingly taken up by developers to ensure the safety of their negotiators, who often find themselves alone on deserted construction sites. Countryside Properties has recently equipped its on-site negotiators with Peoplesafe by Rocksure Systems, which masquerades as an ID-card holder, but actually incorporates an alarm linked to a monitoring centre, as well as sound recording capability and a GPS system. "All developers have staff who work alone for at least part of the day," says Martin Rogers, director of Rocksure Systems. "The key to ensuring their safety is to introduce a system like Peoplesafe that enables lone workers to raise the alarm if an incident occurs. Unfortunately there are still many companies that do not protect their lone workers and are unaware of the legal consequences they face should an accident or physical attack take place."
In the future, the signs are that home security will be taken ever more seriously and will also be seen as a way of increasing the homeowner's control over the operation of the house. "The idea is that these systems really assist the occupants in protecting their homes and their possessions," says VIDEX's Peter Hill. "Also, changes in the law to make life at home easier for people with disabilities, coupled with advances in technology, mean that manufacturers are now introducing a wide range of new secure access products, including audio, audio/video, access control and biometric systems, which allow operation and feedback that is beneficial to everyone, including the less able."
Although biometric products have been associated with the higher end security markets in the past, the recent development of new, cost-effective finger print readers is likely to make them a more common sight at front doors across the land. Installed either singly or in networked environments, these biometric units can recognise as many as 3,000 users and are becoming a more secure rival to fob-entry systems. Iris scan and voice recognition technology is also advancing in leaps and bounds."The security industry is always looking for new innovations that can enhance people's lifestyles," says John White. "In the future, home security will become an essential integral part of every new development project."
First published in Show House Magazine February 2008.
The greatest care has been taken to ensure accuracy but some information contained within this article may have changed since it was first published.
Posted by Nicky Adams
in ADT, BPT Security Systems, Inside Out, Rocksure Systems, SECOM, Videx Security on Fri 1 Feb 2008
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