Step 1 - Look At Your Doors
Step 2 - Check Your Door Locks
Step 3 - Inspect Your Windows
Step 4 - How Is Your Yard?
Step 5 - Location, Location, Location
Step 6 - Put Some Bite In Your Security
Step 7 - Lighting
Step 8 - Who's There?
Step 9 - Remove Temptation
Step 10 - What Are You Telling People?
Step 11 - Get Involved!
Step 12 - Get Alarmed

Step 1 - Look At Your Doors

According to a recent study, in nearly half (47%) of the burglaries, the thieves entered the premises through the front door.  Other studies have stated that 80% of break-ins to households are committed by going through a door – be it a patio door, a basement door, a sliding glass door, or a garage door.  While it is safe to say that in some of these cases, the doors may have been left open, it is more likely that most of these victims did not have adequate doors, frames, or locking mechanisms in place.

Strong, well-built doors and doorways will always be one of your better defenses against a burglar.  Perhaps the fact that so many burglars enter through the doors, in itself, suggests that the doors to most homes are inadequate and insecure.

Today, many newer homes are built with less expensive, weaker, ‘hollow’ doors.  Usually, there are wooden veneers covering an internal framework that makes the door lighter and, unfortunately, less sturdy.  If you have one of these doors, you may want to consider changing it with a solid door, however, if the cost to do this is prohibitive, you should consider beefing up your home’s security in other ways.

Exterior doors should be at least 1-3/4 inches thick and should be of solid construction.  While this is obviously not possible when it comes to sliding glass doors, it is critical in all other areas on the perimeter of your home.  The most solid doors on the planet will not stop a thief if there is glass in and around the door.  Typically, in these situations, burglars will break the glass, put their hand through the hole and open the door from the other side.  Fortunately, there are ways for you to stop this!

While glass can be very attractive in the entranceway of a home, it is certainly not good from a security standpoint.  If you find yourself in the position of having glass either built into the door or located right beside the door in a position that a would-be burglar could smash it and open your door, then you may want to consider some of the following remedies:

• Windows around the doors can be replaced with glass brick, an attractive but sturdy substitute.   

• Doors with ‘hollow’ construction containing windows can be replaced with solid construction doors.

• Windows can be replaced with the more resistant-wired windows, or with Plexiglas or Lexan.

• Our personal favourite and the most practical: cover the windows with a specially treated and transparent polyester film.  While the window will still break if it is smashed, it is still highly impenetrable because the film is so strong it holds all of the glass in place.

As important as doors are to the security of your home and family, they are only as good as the construction of the doorframe.  Over the years, as a building settles and changes with the environment, doorframes can begin to warp.  Doors should fit snugly in their frames so that it is difficult to insert a credit card, a screwdriver, or a crowbar into the separating space.  Further, doorframes should be secured to the supporting studs with 3” screws.  Anything less is just too easy to rip or kick out.

Another often-overlooked concern with doorways has to do with the direction in which the door swings.  Doors that swing out will have their hinges on the outside and, thus, will present an opportunity to the determined thief with a screwdriver who can simply pop the hinge pins and remove the door.  There are three commonly used methods of rectifying the problem of having hinges located on the outside.  They are:

• Flatten both ends of the hinge pin so that it cannot be removed.

• From the inside, drill small holes through the hinge and into the pin.  Screw in a tiny screw so that the pin cannot be pulled out without first taking out the internal screw.

• Take out one of the screws that fasten the hinge to the door and replace it with a small peg.  Ensure that there is a corresponding hole on the other side for the peg to go into when the door is shut.  Even if the pins are removed, the door will not come out of the frame until the peg is removed. 

While sliding glass doors are a definite security concern, because of their similarity to sliding windows, we will address these under Step 3 – Inspect Your Windows.

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Step 2 - Check Your Door Locks

Now that we understand the concept of how important a sturdy door and door frame are to the safety and security of your family, we will tackle the issue of door locks.  There is an old phrase that states that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  This is true when it comes to the security of your home as well.  If your door locks are not adequate, then the fact that you have solid doors hung on well built frames will not help you.

All of your exterior doors, except your sliding glass doors, should be equipped with a sturdy high quality dead bolt lock.  Should you have glass within the door or glass surrounding the door, then you should also consider having a double sided, keyed deadbolt lock.  Like all deadbolt locks when engaged, it only allows you to enter from the outside with a key.  The difference lies in the interior portion of the lock.  It is keyed as well, so when you are not home, if a thief breaks a window he will be unable to open the door by turning the interior thumbscrew.  When you are home, you can insert a key that looks similar to a thumbscrew so that you are able to lock and unlock the door easily.  While these are a great security measure, keep in mind that you should always keep the thumbscrew key in a designated spot close to the door so that if a fire breaks out, you will be able to unlock the door and exit the premises easily and safely.

There are many different types of deadbolt locks and it is important that you choose the right type when securing the exterior doors of your home.  It may be in your best interest to consult a professional at the local hardware store or at the local locksmith shop.  Here are several tips to ensure that you select the correct type of deadbolt for your home:

• Check the throw on the deadbolt.  It should be at least 1-1/2 inches long.

• Always make sure that the part of the deadbolt lock that sits up on the outside of the door is ‘angled’ so that a thief is unable to put a pipe wrench on it and twist it off.

• Always ensure that the throw goes into a full socket and not just a cover plate on the doorframe.  In other words, the throw should not touch any of the wood in your doorframe.  Instead, it should be completely protected by the socket.  This provides added strength.

• The socket (or the piece that the throw goes into) should be attached by screws that are long enough to go into the studs on the other side of the doorframe.  Short screws will simply not be strong enough to withstand the force that may be applied during a kick-in.  A safe bet for a screw length is 3” or more.

Many older homes still have door locks that are of the spring loaded variety.  These types of locks have either the little button on the back of the handle or the thumbscrew on the back of the handle.  When turned from the inside, the door becomes unlocked.  While these door locks may be acceptable if used in conjunction with a proper door, a strong doorframe and a good quality deadbolt lock; they are certainly insufficient by themselves.

Crooks are very good at getting by these types of door locks.  In most cases, a credit card or a screwdriver pushed in between the door and the doorframe are enough to push the angled throw into the door and unlock the lock.  When this doesn’t work, usually a good kick to the door will!  Either way, the thief is one step closer to having his way into your home.

One last word on deadbolt locks.  While it is improbable that you will become a victim of this type of break-in, you should, nonetheless, be aware of it because it may happen at your office or place of work.  A thief takes a small ball of paper and pushes it into the deadbolt lock socket in the doorframe.  The person locking up does not notice it and they ‘lock’ the door and leave.  The thief comes back later, inserts a screwdriver between the door and the doorframe, and proceeds to push the deadbolt throw back into the door because it has not been fully extended and put into the ‘lock’ position.

Fortunately, there are at least four ways to avoid this type of problem:

• Check the socket on the deadbolt before locking the door.

• Have a good fitting door and frame so that a screwdriver cannot be inserted.

• Always ensure that the bolt is fully extended into the lock position before pulling the key out.

• Buy a deadbolt that will not allow you to remove the key until it is in the ‘lock’ or ‘unlock’ position. 

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Step 3 - Inspect Your Windows

We have spent a fair bit of time dealing with locks, doors, and doorframes because these are the most vulnerable areas of your home’s security.  Not surprisingly, most burglars who do not enter your home through a door do so through one of your windows.  While there are other ways to enter a home, these are certainly the two most common.

How does one protect a window from a thief when windows are by their very nature breakable?  There are really only two methods available: make the window so that it is impenetrable or make the opening impenetrable.

One option that is available, albeit costly, is to replace your windows with wired windows, Plexiglas or Lexan.  While Lexan is considerably stronger than Plexiglas or wired windows, it still is only as strong as the window frame (remember the door and the door frame concept).  Plexiglas also has a tendency to ‘yellow’ over time, and as a result, is not particularly attractive.  While these options are available, they are certainly not the best.  Far better are the window films and the glass bricks.

Another option that is available is to make the opening impenetrable.  Although not particularly attractive, window bars will do the trick.  These bars can be made somewhat more visually appealing by turning them into grillwork; however, at the end of the day, you still have the institutional feel of bars on your windows.  When in this position, it is hard not to ask yourself, “Who should be in jail, me or the burglars?”

While the effectiveness of properly installed bars cannot be understated, most people choose not to go with this method.  If you do decide to install bars in your windows, always make sure that a security head is used on the screws holding the bars in.  This will prevent thieves from breaking your windows and unscrewing your bars!  Also, make sure that the screws that secure the bars to the window frames are long enough that they go into the studs below the frame.  For this application, screws should be at least 3” in length.  Lastly, be very careful not to barricade yourself into your home such that, in the case of a fire, you are unable to exit because of the bars.  Consider the type that can be opened with a key.

If you choose not to spend the money and effort putting in glass bricks, protective window films, other types of stronger windows or bars, do not fret.  There are many other ways to limit a thief’s ability to enter through these areas. 

Although this next method sounds almost too simple for words, we will mention it anyway.  If you do not want burglars to break in through your windows, DO NOT LEAVE THEM OPEN WHEN YOU GO OUT!  So many burglaries occur because the Homeowner simply forgot to close and lock their windows before they went out.  Crimes of opportunity are very common but are also very avoidable.

Another way of determining your vulnerability with respect to your windows is to go and check the locking mechanisms on each and every one of them.  Some of the older style windows that use the butterfly lock are extremely easy to break into.  These are the types of windows that have interior hinges that swing open from the side, the top, or the bottom.  The thief simply uses a screwdriver and slides it in between the crack to push the lock sideways and out of the way.  To avoid this type of burglary, simply install a metal cover plate over the outside part of the window where the burglar would put the screwdriver.  This plate makes it extremely difficult to get at the lock and thus, protects you from window lock tampering.

Another easily defeated window is the sliding glass window (or door).  In this case, the burglar simply lifts up on the bottom of the window or door and lifts it off the track or over the locking mechanism.  Many sliding doors and windows can be accessed by the burglar simply because the sliding window is too small for the frame.  Usually this happens over time as the window is opened or closed a lot and the wear and tear on the bottom runners actually makes the window shorter.

To remedy this problem, simply open the window all the way, and put a couple of screws into the top part of the frame so that they stick out about a ¼ of an inch.  While a little bit of adjustment may be required, this method will certainly eliminate the ability of a thief to lift your windows out of their frames.  Also, put a cut-off broom handle or stick on the inside track so that even if the thief can lift the window off its track, he cannot open it.

Step 4 - How Is Your Yard?

Burglars are very risk averse people.  While you may hear stories about how brash a particular burglar was in a specific case, the fact remains the same.  No burglar wants to be caught and therefore, they will target the homes that they feel are the least risky.  You must always keep this in mind when considering the security of your home.

For example, depending upon your fence and yard, you may be either deterring would-be burglars or inviting them into your home!  What constitutes an invitation or a warning signal to a thief?  Let’s examine some of the physical attributes of your fencing and yard that effect a burglar’s decision-making process (albeit small in the first place!).

A good, solid fence sends a message to burglars that you are concerned about the exterior security of your property, and depending on the fence, that you are concerned about your privacy too.  This can be good in the case of a picket fence or a chain link fence where visibility of the yard is not obstructed.  A fence is one more obstacle that the thief has to overcome to get into your home and one more hurdle he has to cross as he carries your possessions out with him.

However, if your fence is high and can act as cover for the thief, you are helping him.  He will know that once he is over the fence, he does not have to worry about neighbours or passing police cars spotting him.  Further, high solid fences can act as a barrier for the sound of breaking glass.

The same holds true with hedges or shrubbery.  The more privacy that you have from the road and from your neighbours, the more privacy the thief has.  Likewise, large hedges or bushes located near the house should also be trimmed back so that they do not afford the burglar a hiding place.

Always keep these points in mind when designing the layout of your yard or determining the type of fence you should install and you are one step closer to living your life without becoming a burglary victim.

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Step 5 - Location, Location, Location

Many people have heard Real Estate Agents say “The three most important things to look for when choosing your home are location, location, and location!”  This statement is also true when it comes to your susceptibility to crime.

Prior to deciding on the home that you want to move into, research the area and find out what the local crime rate is.  Different towns, municipalities and cities will play a fairly significant role in the likelihood of a burglar visiting your home.

More important than the region is the location of your specific home within the region.  While most people love the concept of living on a cul de sac because it offers more privacy and a safe place for their children to play, homes located on cul de sacs bear a disproportionate amount of burglaries.  Some researchers have suggested that this is due to fewer police patrols.

Homes backing onto parks, schools, railways, and wooded areas are also more likely to be chosen by a burglar because they offer alternate and more concealed escape routes.

Homes located within three blocks of a major thoroughfare are far more likely to be robbed as well.  Statistics show that over 50% of the home burglaries occur within three blocks of a major traffic artery because of the quicker escape route.

Strangely enough, it seems that many of the attributes that we find desirable in a home – like it being located on a cul de sac or next to a park – are the very things that make it more susceptible to burglars.  What does all this mean?  Well, you obviously can’t move your home, so if you do fall into one of these risk categories, it becomes more important for you to target harden your home using some of the other protection methods listed in this guide.  If you are currently in the market for a house or will be in the near future, keep some of these facts in mind when deciding on where to go.

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Step 6 - Put Some Bite In Your Security

For many people, a dog is about all that they need to protect their home, family, and possessions.  Or so they think.

While professionally trained dogs are, in fact, one of the better deterrents against burglars, most dogs do not have this type of training.  A good burglar knows that he can turn most dogs into friendly pets with a chunk of meat.  Moreover, for most people, a dog is a part of the family.  If that dog is untrained, then he may be put in serious danger of being harmed by the uncaring and ruthless thief.

The point to be made here is simple.  If you love dogs and want to own one, then you will drastically improve the security of your family and home if you train him or her properly.

In thinking about this method of improving your safety and security, you must also weigh the downside.  Dogs cost money to buy and lots of money to keep.  An alarm system can be a lot less expensive and more reliable.  Also, it is possible that your untrained but ferocious guard dog may seriously injure a child who innocently walks into your yard after their ball.  Are you prepared for this kind of liability?

Before making a decision, you must consider this option very carefully.  What will you do with your dog when you go on holidays (also one of the more likely times that you will be robbed)?  How will your friends with small children react?  These and many other questions must be answered before bringing a pet into the home.

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Step 7 - Lighting

Even though more and more burglaries are taking place during daylight hours, lights are still very important in your fight against crime.  Specifically, indoor lights suggest that the home is ‘lived in’ and occupied, while outdoor lights deprive a thief of privacy.  Again, this is only true if the layout of the yard discourages thieves from targeting your home (i.e. your fences and hedges are not too high and private).

If nothing else, outside lighting should at least cover all your doorways and entrances.  These are the most likely areas to be attacked, so they are also the most critical areas to protect.  If possible, you should also bathe as much of the rest of your property in light as you can.  Specifically, if you happen to live on a park or wooded area, this side of the home should be extremely well lit.  Also, lights should be placed over ten feet off the ground, where possible, to avoid a tampering thief and to provide better illumination.

Another popular but effective method of providing light to the exterior of your home is to use the motion sensitive spotlights to light up your driveway or the path beside your home when someone approaches.  While burglars are likely to know that there is not someone there who just turned on the light, the sudden illumination is quite often enough to make you or your neighbour take notice of it and look outside.  A burglar does not want this to happen.

When you are not home, interior lights should turn on and turn off with the same regularity that they do when your home is occupied.  Light timers are an excellent method of providing this service.  They are very inexpensive and can give the home that lived in look that is just enough to deter a burglar from attempting to enter.  One last hint on light timers.  Place them all over your home in different rooms and on different lights so that it is not always the hall light or the bedroom light that goes on.  Also, try hooking up a radio to one of them to provide a little extra noise.

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Step 8 - Who's There?

With home invasions increasing rapidly, it is increasingly important that you know who is at your door when you hear a knock.  Is it the postman or is it a prospective thief?  It is OK to open the door for one of these people but certainly not the other!  If you are not sure who is at your door when they ring the bell or knock, do not be afraid to ask the person who they are.  If you do not recognize the person’s voice but they are legitimate, they will have no problem in telling you their purpose.  If you do not feel comfortable opening the door, DON’T.

Better yet, if you do not have a peephole in your door, have one installed.  This way, you can visually identify who the person is before opening the door.  While you need special tools to install a peephole, they are fairly inexpensive to purchase but highly effective in ensuring the safety of you and your family.  You should consider this a ‘must have’ when it comes to the security of your home.

For those people who live in a high rise or a gated community where there is an intercom at the front door, special care should be taken when it comes to who you let into the building.  Some people can’t be bothered to say no to someone buzzing them and requesting access to the building.  They figure that even if the person is a burglar, “they are not going to break into my place because I am home.”  Well this may be true, but not only is it a bad community attitude; there is still a chance that the thief may break into that person’s car in the parkade!

The rule of thumb to follow here is to never let anyone in the building unless you know who they are.  If they don’t have a key or an access card, generally speaking, they don’t belong.  If they insist on you letting them in, simply refer them to the manager of the building. 

Also, keep in mind that even people you may recognize around the building may no longer have a right to enter the building.  Take, for example, the husband of the lady you met down the hall.  How are you to know that he is now the estranged husband who has a restraining order out against him?  How are you to know that you may have endangered that woman’s life by letting him in?  The best thing to do is to not get involved in the first place by not letting the person in.  Respect your neighbours!

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Step 9 - Remove Temptation

While many burglaries are planned in advance, some can be classified as crimes of opportunity.  If you give the burglar the chance, he will take it.  Of course, this same principle holds true for many people in many different situations.  Not surprisingly, the best way to safeguard against crimes of opportunity are simply to take away the opportunity.

Do you have a ladder sitting beside your house or in your garage that any would-be thief could use to get into that open window on the second floor?  If the answer is yes, then you should think very seriously about putting the ladder inside or chaining it up in the garage.

Do you have a load of tools in your garage that could either be stolen or used to gain entry to your home?  Do you have a spare crow bar sitting there just waiting to be used on your front door?  If the answer is yes, you should consider either securing the garage or putting the tools inside your house.  Even a shovel left out in the garden provides an opportunity for an industrious thief.

One of the more common crimes of opportunity is the one where the homeowner steps out just for a ‘few minutes’ and leaves the door unlocked or even open.  A similar twist on this scenario occurs when the homeowner is in the back of the property gardening and leaves the front door open.  It is very important to take these chances away from the prospective thief because you know that if they happen to be in the right place at the right time, they will victimize you.

Lastly, the issue of hiding spare keys must be addressed.  Next time a friend comes over, challenge him or her to find your spare key.  Chances are most people will find it within two minutes.  Could it be under the mat?  Behind the planter?  If your friend can find your key, think how fast a professional burglar can find it.  After all, why kick in the door and make noise when you can use the key!  Think very seriously about where you plan to hide your spare key.  Since it is a spare key and is probably not used too often, it should be hidden well away from the door that it opens.  The farther away that it is located, the less likely that it will be found.

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Step 10 - What Are You Telling People?

With the power of telecommunications today, people are able to stay in touch wherever and whenever they go anywhere.  Cellular phones, pagers, and call forwarding have all contributed to the feeling that you always need to be in touch!  Unfortunately, sometimes this is taken too far with answering machines.  Is it necessary to tell someone exactly where you are and when you will be returning?  Should you be telling anyone who phones your residence that you are on vacation in the sunny Caribbean and won’t be back for two weeks?  Those must be the sweetest sounds a burglar could hear!

While there may be times that you need to leave a message for someone detailing where you are and what you are doing, you should always ensure that this is done with the security of your home in mind.  Do not divulge unnecessary or compromising information because you just don’t know who is going to call you.

Keep in mind that this same technological society that has made your life so much more convenient has also helped the burglar.  With one phone call, he or she can do a criss – cross on your address and find out your name and phone number.  If it looks like you are not home, they can now easily call your house and make sure.

You should always ask yourself, “What else am I telling the prospective thief?”  Do you have your family name prominently displayed on the outside of your home?  If so, it makes it that much easier for the thief to look your name up in the phone book, compare it with your address, and then call to see if you are home.

Lastly, when you are out, make sure that you keep your garage door closed so that you do not provide an unnecessary invitation to the prospective thief.  Along the same lines, when you are on vacation, ensure that you have a friend or neighbour come by at least once a day to give your home the ‘lived in’ look.  You may wish to have them take in the newspaper and the mail, turn some different lights on or off, and move the position of the drapes.

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Step 11 - Get Involved! 

Statistics show that neighbourhoods that have banded together to form a Block Watch program or a Neighbourhood Watch program have experienced a decrease in crime.  Members of the community who actually care enough to do something about the increase in crime really can make a difference.

The first step in getting involved in a program like this is to approach your local community policing office.  These professionals have been involved in organizing many communities over the years and are capable of helping you and your neighbours develop a special program to suit your needs.

On a similar front, it is important for you and your neighbours to watch over one another.  Get to know your neighbours and let them know that you will watch over their property when they are not around.  Ask them to do the same for you.  When something out of the ordinary is spotted, take the initiative to report it.

Block Watch Program Requirements

Block Watch is an interactive community program and there are requirements to maintaining an active block. If these basic guidelines are not met your block may lose it's Block Watch status. The Vancouver Police Department reserves the right to revoke Block Watch status.

• At least 10 households on your block participating
• Have an annual meeting for all Block Watch participants.  This can be done at any time of the year.  This meeting enables you to determine those participants who are still involved as well as those who are interested in joining.  Please advise the Block Watch office at least two weeks before your meeting so we can arrange to have a police officer(s) attend.
• Send in an updated block map to the Block Watch office after your meeting.  List all the changes to your block participants.  Even if there are no changes (which is unlikely), you must send in a map as this ensures us your block is still active.
• Always have both a captain and a co-captain.  Neighbourhoods are always changing, people are always on the move.  It may be difficult to fulfil this obligation at times.  To initially sign on with Block Watch, you must have both positions filled before you will be contacted to attend training.  Once you are an established block, however, you may encounter difficulties if one of you moves or resigns. If this happens, please notify the Block Watch office, and we will work with you to get the position filled.
• All Block Watch participants must properly engrave all their property

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Step 12 - Get Alarmed 

Alarm systems are the very best deterrent against burglaries.  According to a recent study that researched 6,343 residential burglaries in the city of Calgary, only 74 of them occurred in homes with an alarm system.  In the same study, of the 15,505 residential break-ins that occurred in Toronto, only 2% occurred in homes with alarm systems.  Further, in cases where burglaries were committed in homes with alarm systems, the average haul was considerably less than when no system was in place.

Alarm systems are designed to both deter and detect intruders.  A basic security system will consist of perimeter and space protection to secure your premises.  Perimeter protection takes the form of door and window contacts, which are used to detect opening, and glassbreak detectors that listen for the sound of breaking glass.  Space protection is provided by motion detectors, which look for movement.  When the alarm system is “armed”, any such detection initiates an alarm.

When choosing a system that is right for your needs, make sure you discuss with your alarm company representative both when and how you will use the system.  If you intend to arm your system when you are home, a system based solely on motion detectors is not the proper choice for you.  Similarly, if you have a pet, you must be careful with the use of motion detectors since their misapplication can often be a source of false alarms.

With few exceptions, alarm systems should be monitored in order to be effective.  When a system is monitored, alarms are transmitted to an alarm receiving station where they can be acted upon promptly by the appropriate response authority – police, fire, or medical.  Systems that are not monitored rely solely on a siren to attempt to scare an intruder away.  In rural and industrial areas, this simply doesn’t work.  Even in residential areas where people are becoming quickly inured to the sound of auto alarms, rarely does the sound of a neighbour’s siren result in more than a quick glance out the window to see if anything is amiss.

When deciding on a company to install your alarm system, always check for the following qualifications:

• A qualified company should perform a site inspection and discuss your individual security needs.  Every person and every home is unique and the system should be tailored to fit your needs, lifestyle and price range.  Deal only with companies that are licensed by the Solicitor General’s Department.  If you are unsure, ask to see their representative’s license.

• The company should give you an evaluation of your home, highlighting the measures that you can take to improve your security over and above the addition of a burglar alarm system.  If they are only trying to sell you an alarm system, chances are they don’t care about your overall security.

• Find out if the prices quoted are for purchase, rental or lease.  Two companies may quote you the same price, but in one case you own the system and in the other you are merely leasing it.  When comparing quotes, be sure to make a true comparison by thoroughly reviewing the quantity and types of sensors recommended.  If there is a discrepancy, make sure that you understand the impact that it will have on your home’s security.

• Find out who will be installing the system.  Will it be the company who sold it to you, or do they simply sub-contract the installation to another company?  Potentially, this can lead to service problems down the road, and that’s when the finger-pointing starts.

• Check the warranty on parts and labour.  The industry standard is one year; however, reputable companies will extend the manufacturer’s warranty for up to five years.

• Find out if your system will be monitored locally or in another province.  Out of province monitoring may lead to service problems.

• Look for companies that can provide you with complete protection including emergency response, holiday patrol checks, and 24 hour service.

• Look for established, reputable companies that are registered electrical contractors and members of CANASA (the Canadian Alarm Association).
  

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