Washington Security Company Helps Explain Summer's Sizzling Crime Rates

Summertime is the most anticipated season of the year. Children are out of school, swimming pools offer relief from the rising temperatures, and families finally have time to bond on getaways and excursions. But with rising temperatures also comes rising crime rates. In fact, police departments throughout the nation urge citizens to be vigilant and use common sense throughout the summer months when both violent and non-violent property crime rates skyrocket. According to statistics from the prior years, homeowners, car owners, and citizens are all at a greater risk of becoming the victim of an assault, a robbery, or even a homicide during the hottest and most anticipated season of the year. If you are wondering why such a fun time has become a time for criminals to run rampant, here is a straightforward explanation from an experienced and respected Washington security company.

School's Out For Summer

Most people are familiar with the song, but what you may not realize is that when school's out for summer, there is a lot of time for mischief. While the crime rates are higher in every category, police officials acknowledge that the most common type of crimes committed in the summer are vandalism and robbery. School-aged kids are to blame for some of these property crimes, but seasoned criminals are also aware of the fact that getting away with valuables is much easier during the summer heat.

Why Is There Easier Access?

With summer comes heat, and when it is hot, it is common for homeowners and vehicle owners to crack their windows or leave their doors open in an effort to improve airflow in a space. Thieves with experience know that it is common for homeowners to leave their windows open to reduce cooling costs during the nighttime hours. They also know how to get past flimsy screen locks without so much as making a noise. With easy access comes more stolen valuables, more vandalism and more crime as a whole.

Why Home Security is Important

You may be wondering how you can combat crime before you become one of the long list of victims that are making police reports in Seattle each summer season. While there is no full-proof way to avoid becoming a target, there is a way to deter would-be vandals and criminals by working with a home security Seattle expert. Here are some tips you can use to your advantage as the heat and the crime rates in Washington continue to rise:

Only leave windows open on the second level. First-level windows give intruders easy access.

Ask neighbors to keep an eye on your home during the day or while you are on vacation.

If you have children, get them involved in an activity, so they do not participate in mischief.

Pay attention to your surroundings and report suspicious activity.

Do not leave valuables visible through the windows of your cars or in your home.

Invest in a home security system that is monitored by a reputable and local Washington security company.

The FBI has done a lot of research on crime rates in the summer, and they have found that the heat is to blame for a 10 percent rise in crime. While there are a number of causes, frustration, substance abuse and chemical changes due to heat all play a role in why criminals prefer to strike in the heat. Take notice of the problem, deter the criminals with help from a team of home security Seattle experts and stay safe.​

A Washington Security Company Offers Tips on Protecting Your Home While on Vacation

Homeowners leaving to take the family on vacation mull over whether or not they locked the front door or left the light on in the living room as everyone heads on down the road. However, there is more to protecting your home while away on vacation. In addition to the basic tips of having someone keep the lawn mowed or the snow shoveled, our Washington security experts at Security Solutions share their best advice for keeping your home safe while on vacation.

1. Stop the Mail and Newspaper Deliveries

An overstuffed mailbox and newspapers piling up on the porch are beacons to burglars signaling instantly that no one is home. Putting a hold on mail delivery as well as any other deliveries that routinely come to the house is a standard trick most homeowners already do before leaving. However, our experts in home security in Seattle recommend having someone you trust pick up the mail, the paper and any packages that may be delivered while the family is away on vacation. This way, neither the paper delivery person nor anyone at the post office is aware that the house is empty. This also means that the house will be visited every day it sits empty.

2. Effective Use of Timers

Any criminal worth his or her salt is going to be looking for patterns. Most can readily identify senseless use of light timers. Instead of just randomly picking a time for a timer to turn a light off and on, think about normal routines in the house. What gets shut off as everyone goes to bed? Typically, the living room lights and TVs are on until bedtime. Then a light goes on in an upstairs bedroom and bathroom for a time. Then the last light to go out is often the one next to the bed. Also consider what is on during the day. Since most televisions are not compatible with programmable timers, use a portable radio instead.

3. Managing the Drapes

Some homes always have the window shades, blinds or drapes closed. Other homes may open them during the day and close them at night. Deviation from the routine is a red flag that gets noticed by both good and bad people. Your good neighbors will notice any break from a routine just the same as you would notice a change in their routines. Any neighbors who are interested in stealing what is in your home will notice too. If the drapes are going to be closed while away on vacation, begin by closing them a couple of weeks before departure while everyone is still at home.

4. Lock Everything That Has a Lock

This includes the garage door as well as the door from the garage into the home. Most homes have locks on bedroom and bathroom doors that can be locked from the outside using a small screwdriver inserted through the tiny hole in the handle. Make it inconvenient for anyone who may enter the home to get around. Lock every window too.

5. Dealing With Appliances That Use Water

Since the clothes washer uses rubber hoses as water inlets, it is not a bad idea to shut off the water supply to the washer before leaving. The hoses on clothes washers can burst much more easily than metal pipes. Also, if there is a toilet in the house that has a leaky tank valve, shut off the water to it to prevent it from running nonstop while no one is home.

6. Monitored Home Security

Having a system installed that provides 24-hour monitored home security in Seattle is a great way to protect any home. Home alarm systems deter burglars, and the systems also automatically alert the monitoring center of any emergency condition. Sensors installed in your home by our Washington security experts detect intrusion, smoke, fire and carbon monoxide. We also have specialty sensors to detect movement, breaking glass, temperature extremes and even flooding. So, even though no one is at home, the home security system is guarding everything.

Every family wants to protect their home whether they are there every day or away on vacation. Following some simple protocols can prevent a home from being targeted while a family is away on vacation. A home security system will be there every day no matter if family members are asleep in their own beds or a thousand miles away enjoying a tropical paradise vacation.

Advice from a Washington Security Company: Avoiding Fires During Peak Grilling Season

Security Solutions, a full-service company providing state-of-the-art home security in Seattle, wants to help keep you safe this summer from grilling fires. Statistically, home fires started by grills average out to a little over 1,400 per year. Outdoor grilling is supposed to be both a fun and delicious time shared with family and friends, not a time to call the local fire department. Here are some tips from our Washington security specialists to help keep you safe in grilling season.

Grill Placement

Fires that consume more than the grill are most often due to grill placement. All propane and charcoal grills are designed for outdoor use only, but proper placement of grills helps to protect homes from fires. Most people place that shiny new grill on a wooden deck up against the perimeter railings or close to a wall of the house. A propane or charcoal grill of any size is capable of creating enough radiant heat to catch nearby combustibles on fire.

Also, to avoid grilling in the hot sun or rain, many place a grill under the roof of a porch or deck. Vinyl siding and vinyl ceiling covering materials are found on many homes. This material cannot take the heat of a grill that is in close proximity. The vinyl begins to deform, and then will turn into a hot liquid that eventually catches fire. Dry deck railings, nearby lawn furniture and other items are also a problem.

Read and heed the manufacturer's instructions on how far the grill must be kept from combustible materials. Ideally, a grill should be placed on a concrete pad with nothing above or around it on all sides. This includes tree branches that can burn if the grill itself catches fire.

Things Never to Do When Grilling

Never use gasoline to light a charcoal grill.

Never light a dirty grill.

Never leave a lit grill unattended.

Never dump out charcoal that is still hot.

Never attempt to light a grill that is leaking propane.

Never let children or pets near a grill.

Never use a grill indoors.

Never squirt charcoal lighter fluid onto hot coals.

Fire Prevention, Protection and Early Warning

Grills are not the only home fire hazard, especially during the summer months. Many homes now use fire pits of both the permanently installed and portable varieties. Summer also includes the Fourth of July holiday and even though personal fireworks are illegal in Washington, there are still many incidents of home fires caused by them. A still burning bottle rocket or Roman candle landing on a combustible surface can start a home fire blocks away from where it was launched.

Following common sense fire safety rules is the first step in prevention. However, even the best safety measures may not be enough. The next level of protection is a fire extinguisher. When grilling, always keep a spray bottle filled with water to extinguish tiny flare ups. You should also keep a 10-pound or larger dry-chemical fire extinguisher nearby.

Early warning is the next level of protection, and it comes from having round-the-clock monitored home security in Seattle. As your Seattle, Washington security specialists, we install residential alarm systems to protect your home and family not only during the summer grilling season but year-round.