RICH WILD

Following on from the worrying recent threads on people having their homes entered or attempted to be entered by gangs to steal their cars, I thought I should post this.

Firstly, I do not wish to appear to be capitalising on others' misfortunes, which I would in no way do. I would just like to bring attention to something that MAY stop it happening to others.

Secondly, this is not intended as an advert (as I know this is a private forum) and if the moderator views it as such then please delete it. I am a proud Scoob owner too and I want to help others in the same boat. Consequently I have not mentioned the company or product by name.

It occured to me when reading of these incidents that the company I work for makes a product that could help. It is a Dialler system that connects via your phone line to a 24hr Monitoring station. It has a panic button that works via radio and looks like the kind of set/unset device that we all get with our car alarm. When pressed it puts you in touch with the monitoring station, who can listen in and talk back to you. It was primarily designed for the elderly, when thay have a fall or are ill and can't get to the phone.

Equally it can be pressed if someone is at the door who you are unsure of. Before you answer, press the button and the monitoring station will come on line. You can tell them what you are about to do and they can listen out to see that all is well. If needs be, they can call they Police or Ambulance for you. Something you may not be able to do yourself if someone hits you over the head or something.

It may not be the answer to everything, even with the best will in the world, the police won't get there for some minutes, in which time someone may have pinched your keys and made away, but it gives the police an extra minute or to, plus they will be dealing with a calm operator (who can also reassure YOU) and not someone who may be panicky, scared and shook up.

It also as the added benefit that it can be connected to any existing house alarm you have, so if you are not there, and someone breaks in, the monitoring station can listen in and challenge any would be entrant for your predetermined password.
Again there is still the delay time for the police to arrive, but a booming voice coming from nowhere saying " YOU ARE BEING MONITORED, IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" may be enough to scare a less experienced intruder off. Also, if you are upstairs an hear a noise, why risk going down and getting clobbered when you can press your panic button.

The monitoring station tapes all communications so that they can later be used in court if necessary.

This was recently used where a woman was a witness in a crime and was being intimidated by the accused. He appeared one day at her door and tried to get in. She managed to keep him out and pressed her button. The monitoring station came on line and she told them the story. The man was still hanging round outside trying to get in, so the station phoned the Police. The woman, who was asthmatic, then had an attack and the operator calmed her down, talked her through getting her medicine and reassured her. The man soon twigged what was happening and ran. The police picked him up a few streets away.

This kit can be had for less than the cost of 3 tanks of fuel and although there is an annual monitoring fee, it is still only double figures.

I hope that this post doesn't offend anyone and if it does I apologise in advance, but we are only a small company of some 15 people, and our product is thus not well known. If this kind of robbery is going to become common, I thought that people should be aware of such a products existence. If this post saves one Scooby from being nicked or stops one burglary or even saves a life, I'll be glad.

Thanks

Rich

Hos

iTrader: (1)

I live in a second floor secured apartment so don't need this kind of thing , but my family in Scotland (we live 2-3 miles outside of Dundee) have alarms hooked through to the police and we have panic buttons varied at different positions through our house. We also have security cameras varied at different positions outside.

What you say about the monitoring stations is a good idea, but even just having panick buttons and a good alarm. Its common sense to have these sort of things, like having a car alarm on your scoob.

MichelleWRX1994

A panic button is well worth it, touch wood (touches head) I have only had to use it once, but it was good to know that we have neighbours who will respond to a house alarm and police who give it the time of day to respond too.

Dragon

Good post Rich - excellent suggestion