Tip 3: Windows
Not surprisingly, most burglars who do not enter your home through a door do so through one of your windows. How do you protect something that's breakable by nature? Two ways: make the window or the opening impenetrable.
Wired windows
You can 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. Plexiglas also has a tendency to yellow over time. While these options are available, they are certainly not as good as window films or glass bricks.
Bars
Although not particularly attractive, window bars make the opening impenetrable. These bars can be made somewhat more visually appealing by turning them into grill work; however, at the end of the day, you still have the institutional, and jail-like feel of bars on your windows. If you do use bars, make sure that:
1. A security head is used on the screws holding the bars in. This will prevent thieves from breaking your windows and unscrewing your bars.
2. 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.
3. You don’t barricade yourself into your home so thatin the case of a fire, you are unable to exit because of the bars. Get the type that can be opened with a key.
A simple trick
If you don’t want burglars to break in through your windows, don’t leave them open when you go out. Many burglaries occur because the homeowner forgets to close and lock their windows when they go out.
Check the mechanisms
Check the mechanisms on each and every window. 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.
Sliding glass windows
A burglar can often simply lift up on the bottom of the window or door and lift it off the track or over the locking mechanism. This is especially easy when the sliding window is too small for the frame. Over time, wear and tear on the bottom runners actually makes the window shorter.
To remedy this problem:
1. 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.
2. 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.
Security system design and consulting
In order to design the most effective security system, we first determine your goals and needs. Then we present a customized set of options, costs and specific strategies for a supported, well maintained system. And after sign-off, we do extensive testing and training.
Paladin works in thorough ways. We provide turnkey solutions, take a holistic approach, work in partnership with you throughout, and even train your staff to make sure every part of the security systems strategy is effectively implemented.
Customized security officers
We know from our experience that providing the best security is about having the right people for the specific job and environment. At Paladin, we don’t believe a guard is a guard, but practice strategic staffing, where we determine the specific mix of skills and attributes needed for the each position.
We invest considerable time and resources into recruiting right. Superior people want to work with a superior company — one that cares about quality, treats their people well and offers personal growth and advancement — so we are fortunate to receive many applications. We then use our stringent hiring to processes filter out the most ideal candidates, which is approximately one successful new hire out of twenty applications.
Training is what differentiates us, and it’s why we lead the industry. Once we have the right candidates on board, we start by conducting extensive pre-employment training and certification for each new staff member, which surpasses all legislative and regulatory requirements and standards across the country. Each Paladin security officer then undergoes pre-assignment training and site training unique to each position and its respective industry. In total, we provide 35 different courses through our University of Paladin, including ongoing training.
To ensure our people continue to perform above expectations, we have a multi-faceted field management model and provide various employee support programs.
GPS-enabled mobile patrols
We have the largest mobile emergency response fleet in the industry, with trained, licensed and bonded emergency response officers. Our mobile patrols can keep any type of building and premises safe. Our personnel can perform fixed-time and or random checks to look for unusual activities or problems, which can keep you and your property secure; in one patrol of high-rise under construction, we discovered a leaking pipe, which saved the client hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Access control systems
We provide access and intrusion detection systems that offer the best protection. Only Paladin offers complete, end-to-end service: we design, implement, install and service our systems, which means more efficiency, security and convenience for you.
Card systems are more cost effective than traditional locking systems. Most businesses recognize the costs of re-keying, for example, but with a card, a client can simply cancel an individual user. In addition, our access control systems can provide detailed information for workforce time management.
We can maintain your access system remotely, including adding and deleting users, controlling lock and unlock times, backing-up the database and performing system diagnostics. This eliminates the need for on-site computer staff to maintain your system.
24/7 security system monitoring and response
Paladin has the most state-of-the-art technology and advanced central monitoring stations in the country, with multiple back up systems in place. Unlike other security companies that contract out to a third party, we operate our own alarm and remote video monitoring stations across Canada. That means you benefit from a faster response to all of your alarm signals. Our stations meet and exceed the highest industry standards through our ULC AA listing and our CSAA 5 Diamond certification.
Temperature control monitoring
We install and monitor the most effective temperature control systems for protection against freezing pipes or over-heated server rooms.