News & Tips

Discovering your house, condo or apartment has been broken is a shock. After all, this is your home, your sanctuary. But by knowing what to do ahead of time, you can act quickly, increasing the chances of catching the burglar and recovering your property.

 

First, if you see signs that your home has been burglarized, don’t go in. Call the police and wait for them to arrive. If you accidentally surprise a burglar, don’t antagonize or stall them. Most just want to grab some valuables and leave.

If you do catch a glimpse of the intruder, write down as many details (age, sex, race, which direction they went, etc.) as you can remember as soon as possible. This will help the police when they arrive.

Be sure to file a police report. While chances are slim that you’ll recover any of your possessions, a police report is necessary to file an insurance claim so you can recoup your losses. Be sure to ask for the report number before the officer leaves your home. Plus, reporting a break-in provides the authorities with valuable information about crime trends in your area.

Take photos, including where valuables were stolen from and the entrance or entrances the burglar used. This will help when filing an insurance claim to prove what items were taken and which areas of your home were damaged. It also helps to have images of items before they’re stolen.

Call your insurance company and file a claim. Do this as soon as you have your police report. You’ll need to provide a report number and lots of other details such as point of entry, property damage, items stolen, etc.

Re-secure your home. If the burglar entered through unlocked door or window, this could be as easy as ensuring they are all secured. For broken windows or damaged doors, construct strong yet temporary barriers using half-inch sheets of plywood with two inch screws a foot apart.

After a burglary, it’s very rare for an intruder to return. More often, they will break into another house nearby within the next few weeks. So if you learn of a burglary in your neighborhood, be extra vigilant. Or if you experience a break in, alert your neighbors as soon as possible.

For more information, contact our business office at (925) 932-2211. Business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Denalect Alarm is proud to serve home and business security and alarm systems in Northern California: Antioch, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Dublin, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.

Renters are 85% more likely to experience a home invasion than those who own their homes. Folks living in an apartment or condo have additional security concerns. Close proximity to other tenants and increased foot traffic means that your home is more at risk of intrusion and burglary. To help, our security pros offer some tips on how to keep you, your family and your place safe.

Consider exterior security. Buildings with a door person posted at the entrance to monitor comings and goings and/or a call box for tenants to “buzz in” their guests are generally safer.

Practice entrance etiquette. While it’s awkward (and often considered rude) to close the door on someone while you’re entering or exiting the building but if you don’t know the person it’s safer to close the door behind you without letting him or her in.

Get to know your neighbors. Not only is it safer to have trusted neighbors looking out for you and your apartment, many buildings also have their own neighborhood watch group.

Add a deadbolt and/or a chain lock on your front door. A standard doorknob lock is easier to pick and force open than a deadbolt, which is much more secure. Also consider a chain lock. It’ll allow you to crack your door to talk to a stranger and/or ask for identification before opening up completely.

Strengthen slider glass doors. Many sliding doors have inadequate locks and can come off their tracks with just a nudge. Secure your sliding door with an inside bar lock or a pole on the track. You can also install a secondary locking mechanism such as a metal pin inserted through the door frame and into the sliding door.

Install a safe. This can be an effective way to hide valuable items (such as jewelry, cash, passports, etc.) from thieves who are just looking to grab valuables in plain sight and escape quickly. Find a safe that’s fireproof and fits your budget and needs, and talk to your landlord about bolting it to a floor or wall, so a burglar can’t pick it up and take it.

Invest in good blinds or curtains. Install blinds or curtains on all your windows to block the view from outside and be sure to close them when you go out. This will keep wandering eyes from checking out your valuables, reducing the risk of a break-in.

Get renters insurance. Many insurance companies offer policies specifically for renters that run about $20 a month and cover all your property at the full replacement cost. Consider the cost of replacing everything you own in the event of a theft, fire, or severe weather. If you wouldn’t be able to recover from the loss, then renters insurance is a good option.

Consider getting an alarm system or security devices. Depending on your needs and budget, you can install a system yourself or have one professionally installed. For more pro tips on choosing the right home security system, click here.

And finally, be vigilant. Always lock your front door and avoid poorly lit areas and communal spaces (such as a laundry room) late at night. Also, it’s important to always lock your balcony door when it’s not in use and don’t leave you car unlocked or the trunk open when you are not with the vehicle.

For more information, contact our business office at (925) 932-2211. Business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Denalect Alarm is proud to serve home and business security and alarm systems in Northern California: Antioch, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Dublin, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.

One of the easiest ways to thwart thieves from stealing your valuables is by etching or writing a unique number or code on them. Also known as property marking, the process itself is simple, yet few people actually take the time to do it.

First, decide on your unique personal code. Don’t use a full social security number, driver’s license number, full address or anything else that can be used to steal your identity. Instead, use a portion of your social security number, birth year, etc. along with a portion of your first or last name or initials.

Then using an engraving tool or a permanent marker, label the valuables in your home or office that are the most common targets of thieves – TVs, stereos, VCRs, cameras, firearms, computer components, for example – with your unique code.

A few more tips and ideas:

• Etching or etched markings are the hardest to remove. Engraving tools can be purchased for $5-$10 at most hardware stores.
• Stickers can be peels or washed off.
• Keep an inventory of all of your valuable possessions in a safety deposit box or a fire-proof safe. This will help in determining loss in the event of a theft or a fire.
• Make a video of every room in your home with a commentary about your valuable possessions. This should also be kept in a safe place and updated periodically.

Property marking can be an easy spare time or weekend project. If theft does occur, this will help law enforcement identify your property as well as aid in any criminal prosecution.

For more information, contact our business office at (925) 932-2211. Business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Denalect Alarm is proud to serve home and business security and alarm systems in Northern California: Antioch, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Dublin, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.

With the rise of affordable alternate telephone services in the last few years, a number of Denalect’s customers are choosing to either eliminate their standard land line and relaying entirely on their cell phone or switch to other telephone line services like Comcast, AT&T Uverse, Astound and Vonage in their home or business.

While we fully support your decision to choose their telephone provider, please call our service department to discuss any changes you’d like to make to your telephone system before committing yourself.

This is because some alarm systems rely on a land line to communicate and it may not be able to report an emergency to our Central Station Dispatcher.

If you are interested in making these changes, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• When you order these service changes tell the salesperson that you have an alarm and make sure they guarantee that the alarm system will continue to send signals to Denalect’s Central Station.
• Make sure the new service will allow your alarm to send signals even if there is an electrical power failure.
• You should always test your alarm with our Central Station after anyone works on your phone lines before they leave. If there are problems have the installing company fix them or call us for assistance.

If the new phone service causes your alarm not to communicate with us we will need to install a new transmitter. The new transmitter will communicate with us using wireless technology. The system is very fast and does not rely on any telephone, fiber optic or cable TV lines.

For more information, contact our business office at (925) 932-2211. Business hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

Denalect Alarm is proud to serve home and business security and alarm systems in Northern California: Antioch, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Concord, Danville, Dublin, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.