Don’t have a False Sense of Security

Many home owners have a false sense of security when it come to being in their house. When we are home we feel safe, because the dangerous world is on the other side of the door and walls of our house. Even people who live in gated communities have a false sense of security because not just anyone can come into their neighborhood. But think again on July 21^st, 2010 at around 2:45 a.m. Renata Jackson, the wife of Charlotte Bobcats player, Stephen Jackson, was held up at the family’s home by three men. The burglars broke into the home holding her at gunpoint before locking her in a bathroom, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported. The home is in a gated community of two dozen million-dollar homes. The fact is that many of you are not prepared for a home invasion. 

You may have seen the headlines

• Two early morning home invasions may be linked
  
• Two men are charged in three home invasions
  
• Gainesville man charged with home invasion robbery
  
• Home invasion leaves several wounded
  
• 2 Injured In Groton Home Invasion
  
• 3-year-old kidnapped in home invasion
  
• N. Knox Co. Home invasion shooting victim dies
  

 Home invasion, defined as “burglary of a lodging while the residents are at home,” typically leads to other crimes once the intruder has entered the home, sometimes as serious as sexual assault, rape or murder. According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) a burglary happens every 10 seconds and 1 property crime happened every 3 seconds in this country. The most alarming fact about a home invasion is that the perpetrator can often perform the crimes without being detected by your neighbors or potential aid just outside your home. I’m sure you have heard of home invasion s on the news, and recent statistics suggest that this form of burglary is on the rise, so the probability of you becoming a victim is increasing.

Those who engage in home invasion have two methods of gaining access to your home. The first method is the simple break-in. It has been declared that burglars only need about 60 seconds to break into most homes. Recent FBI statistics claim that only one out of every four burglaries involve forced entry. The easiest way for a criminal to get into your house is just to kick-in your door! The FBI says every 12 seconds a home is invaded by going right through the front or back door. Most burglars enter homes through an open or unlocked window or door. By making it more difficult for intruders to get into your residence, you can greatly reduce your chances of being a robbery victim. The more a burglar has to work to get into your home, or the more likely the burglar thinks he may get caught the less chance you have of becoming his victim.

The second method is to trick you into letting them into your house. The most common entry points are through the front door, or in the case of a surprise attack, through the homeowner’s garage. Most invasions take place simply because the intruder knocked or rang the bell and the homeowner opened the door. The attack can either be swift or violent or the attacker may pretend to be someone who is ordinary or trusted by you. In some cases, victims may even receive a false phone call informing them that they are about to receive a delivery or a maintenance call from a repairman.

 

Here are some other statistical faces from the DOJ:

• One in five homes undergoes a home invasion or break-in.
  
• Burglary of residential properties accounted for 67.9 percent of all burglary offenses
  
• There are more than 8,000 home invasions every day in North America
  
• 50% of home invasions incidents involve the use of a weapon; the most common weapons used are cutting instruments
  
• In 68% of home invasions incidents, victims and the accused are strangers; in 11% of these cases, victims and the accused are friends, associates, or family
  
• In 48% of home invasions incidents the victims sustain physical injuries
  
• In 38% of home invasion incidents involve assaults and 60% involve rape.
  

In our home invasion series we gave you lots of advice of how to prepare you home:

• Don’t let anyone in your home unless you absolutely know who they are.
  
• Use doors with solid cores rather than hollow wooden doors, complete with good heavy-duty locks to prevent lock bumping
  
• Install security devices in windows such as alarm systems or bars.
  
• Utilize all locks on any entrance into your home. It’s easy to get in an unlocked door
  
• Lighting is an important crime deterrent. Your home should be well-lit.
  
• Install and use a fish eye peephole in your doors to assess visitors before opening the door
  
• Install and set home security systems to prevent a home invasion while you are asleep
  
• If you are suspicious of visitors, alert neighbors or Neighborhood Watch groups
  
• Talk to your family about the possibility of a home invasion and proper preventative measures. Discuss escape plans in the event they become necessary
  
• Even if you don’t have a dog you should probably buy an “Beware of dog” and place the sign at strategic places
  

Related Blog Entries

• HOME INVASIONS – Part 1 – What you should know
  
• Knock, Knock – Home Invasion Tips
  
• HOME INVASIONS – Part 2 – Defensive strategies (ii)
  
• Defending Your Castle Part 2
  
• HOME INVASIONS – Part 2 – Defensive strategies – Alarms Systems (iii)
  
• Protecting the Elderly
  
• Protecting our elderly treasures
  

   

  PepperEyes.com
  is dedicated to meeting the safety needs of you, your friends, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility arm yourself, or your business with our products and the knowledge of the best way to stay safe in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option.     

You Go Girl!

Perhaps you remember the name Brittanee Drexel of Chili, New York was last seen in April 2009 leaving Blue Water Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. To date there has been no sign or evidence of the missing young lady.
 

A few days ago there was an attempted abduction of another young lady from almost the same area on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. However, this young lady decided to do what was necessary to escape.
 

According to the police, a 20-year-old woman from Tennessee said that three men tried to kidnap her as she left her hotel, the Mystic Sea Hotel, which is located near Blue Water Resort. She said she noticed a pale blue van pull up behind her around 22nd Avenue South, and two men jumped out and tried to kidnap her. She was able to elbow one of the men in the face and escape with no injuries. 

A police report claims the two suspects let go of the girl and fled from the scene in a southward direction along Ocean Boulevard.  “She wasn’t supposed to be alone but we never thought something like this would happen” said the victim’s father. 

You may think that incidents like these are isolated, but they are all too common. In general women are thought of as the “weaker sex”. This is atleast the belief of most criminals and what makes women  more vulnerable to crime whether it is assault, rape, molestation and other types of physical and sexual harassment.
 

According to Justice Department statistics:
 

• Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.
• Around 78 rapes are committed each hour in America.
• Four women in a day get murdered by their abusive partners.
• 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.
• 25% of girls will be sexually assaulted by the time they are 18-years old.
• 25% of rapes take place in a public area or a parking garage.
• While about 80% of all victims are white, minorities are somewhat more likely to be attacked.
• 75% of every rape is committed by the person known to the victim.
• 60% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police 

While these statistics are shocking, they also give you a chance to make changes to reduce your odds of being the next victim. Because here is another fact, none of the victims thought it would happen to them.
 

Let’s look at some things you should know to help prevent an assault:
 

Observation
Look around you and be aware of your surroundings-hiding places, people following you, strange vans etc. If confronted by an assailant look him directly in the eye so he knows for sure that you will remember what he looks like in a police lineup.
 

Yell
There are two things about making noise. First, it attracts the attention of by-standers. Second, it puts fear in the assailants, they may get caught. Criminals want an easy mark not someone who is going to resist. Studies indicate that yelling “Fire” will draw more attention.

Show
If you are carrying a personal protection product, SHOW IT. Sometimes the sound of a discharging stun gun is enough to frighten them off. If you have pepper spray, bring it to the ready, and tell the crooks to “back off” Try using a combination of SHOW and YELL. Try something like “back off or you’ll get a taste of this.”
 

Pain
Learn where some key pressure points for pain are and how to inflict as much pain as you can quickly. The young lady was 

Learn where to strike

 able to use an elbow to the face. Other effective moves are eye gouges, pinch, or bite under the arm or the upper inner thigh, or knee to the groin areas. These are all sensitive and subject to inflict maximum amounts of pain to the assailant. You can also try a sharp blow across the bridge of an assailant’s nose will stop him dead in his tracks. Remember your life could depend on it. You want just enough time to escape. Many places offer FREE or reasonable cost Women’s self-defense classes.

 Instinct
Women have a built in sixth-sense. If you feel funny about a situation, run!
  

Carry
We recommend that you always carry a personal protection product. A stun gun, taser, pepper spray, personal alarm, telescopic baton are good examples. Each if used will afford you enough time to escape and get help.
  

Practice
Just as you should rehearse house emergencies, you should also mentally practice against an imaginary assailant in various situations. If you have a stun gun or pepper spray or some kind of protection you should rehearse until you are comfortable with your ability to use it quickly and effectively.
 

 These tips can help you prevent an assault on yourself or any woman you know. Used wisely they may save a life-maybe yours they way they saved the life of this young lady. 

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to meeting the safety needs of you, your friends, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility arm yourself, or your business with our products and the knowledge of the best way to stay safe in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option.      

 

Pepper Spray -It is no longer an option

It is a simple fact using pepper spray works.  Even criminals are aware of this. Look that these examples from the news.

• Georgetown County deputies are looking for two men involved in a home invasion. According to the sheriff’s deputies, two men armed with a shotgun and mace kicked in the door of a home around 12:05 a.m
  
• MOUNT PLEASANT — Police have arrested two men accused of spraying a store employee with pepper spray as they stole nearly $5,000 worth of jeans in January

Pepper spray is often overlooked as a personal protection product.  Most people have heard of pepper spray, but do you know how and why it works, or what exactly is inside the little canister that you should be carrying?

So why don’t you have pepper spray as part of your self-defense?

 Using pepper as a defensive tool is not new. The Chinese have been using pepper and spices to throw at their enemies for literally thousands of years. In 1864 Germans used tear gas for the first time.

 The first personal defense sprays, first developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, contained Oleoresin Capsicum, or OC. This oil extracted from peppers of the Capsicum family is known to cause coughing, watery eyes, and a burning sensation on the skin. The oleoresin capsicum is what gives the peppers their extremely effective heat. Originally, it was extracted from chili peppers, and then powdered for use in pepper sprays.

 Today, most pepper sprays are actually made from chemicals, such as Chloracetophenone (CN) or Orthochlorobenzalmalonitrile (CS). These chemicals usually affect the tear ducts, as well as irritating the eyes, nerve endings, mucous membranes, and skin. Modern pepper sprays also restrict breathing.  A person who can’t breathe, can’t function. Today, sprays may include CN, CS, OC, or a combination of these chemicals, because some people are more affected by one than by the other two.

Pepper spray is seven times hotter than a habanera pepper. A burst of pepper spray in your attackers’ face will cause the attacker to have shortness of breath, temporary blindness due to excessive tearing and the eyes actually shutting down, coughing and choking. It is very nasty stuff, and will probably make the attacker wish they had made better life choices.

Be warned, not all pepper sprays are equal. They are rated in Scoville Heat Units (SHUs), just like very hot peppers. This measurement is directly related to how effective the pepper spray will be. Most currently available have a rating of around 1 and a half to 3 million SHU. A very hot habanero pepper is close to 2 million SHUs, for comparison. The higher the SHU, the hotter the spray, although any of the commercially available pepper sprays should be plenty to stop an attacker. When considering which pepper spray is most effective, one must consider the percentage of pepper being used and the heat rating of that pepper (measured in Scoville Heat Units or S.H.U.). They come in a variety of effectiveness ratings. Most are designed to stop humans, while others are rated for dogs or bears.

Most military and law enforcement personnel can testify to the effectiveness of these chemicals against ordinary citizens. Most soldiers can’t tell you about their experience in the ‘Gas Chamber’  as part of their Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical training.  Police Academies today all over the country have their trainee’s experience what pepper spray is like.
 
Pepper Spray works very well against animals with sensitive noses especially bears, mountain lions, and
most  dogs. The U.S. Postal Service has most of it’s’ carriers carry pepper spray. How is that for a testimony?

So why don’t you have pepper spray as part of your self -defense?

Pepper Spray is legal in all 50 states (with certain restriction) and relatively easy to buy from various stores and web sites. Pepper sprays are a favorite protection product of women because they are small, effective, and easy to use and to carry.
 
Like any personal protection product, some training should take place before use. The purpose is to effectively use it in order to give you time to escape or get help not severely injure or maim. The effects of pepper spray can last as long as 30-45 minutes giving you more than enough time to get away with no lasting damage to the bad guys. The nice thing about pepper spray is that should you kids find it, you won’t have to worry about the long effects of it going off.

 Please note that pepper spray has been known to have no or little effect on people who are on mind altering pharmaceutical products (drugs) or and some drunk.  Pepper spray may also have limited impact on aggressive dogs breeds like Dobermans, pit bulls, or German Shepherds.
  
If you are looking for an inexpensive, non lethal and effective tool in the fight against crime and a tool for your own personal protection pepper spray is it.

 If you don’t have some now ..what are you waiting for?

 PepperEyes.com is dedicated to meeting the safety needs of you, your friends, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility arm yourself, or your business with our products and the knowledge of the best way to stay safe in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option. 

How to Ruin a Phishing Trip

If you are like me everyone once in awhile you get one of those E-mail stating that

“Your Citi Bank Account has been suspended” or something similar to this.

You would click on the link to see what the problem is except you know two things.

1. Citibank would not send you and e-mail saying your account is suspended.
2. You don’t have a CitiBank account anyway.
   

This is obviously a phishing ploy. Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire personal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Phishers target the customers of banks and online payment services. E-mails, supposedly from the Internal Revenue Service, have been used to glean sensitive data from U.S. taxpayers. Social networking sites are now a prime target of phishing, since the personal details in such sites can be used in identity theft. The damage caused by phishing ranges from denial of access to e-mail to substantial financial loss. It is estimated that between May 2004 and May 2005, approximately 1.2 million computer users in the United States suffered losses caused by phishing, totaling approximately $929 million dollars. United States businesses lose an estimated $2 billion dollars per year as their clients become victims.

The criminals are fishing for information…your information, so why not have some fun.

Many of the newer web browsers such as Internet Explorer as have filters in them that that prevent you from access those sites. However, if you don’t have one of those browsers and what to have some fun..here is something you can do.

Option 1: Just Delete the E-mail and Mark it as Spam

Option 2 : Creating your PHISH and still mark it as SPAM

Provide them with bogus (fake) information. After all they send you fake e-mail, why not return the favor.

1. Now think of your favorite TV character for a Old TV Show or even a current one. Many of these phishing e-mails are from foreign companies who are not really up on American Pop-Culture.
   
2. Create a Bio for that character using elements from the show
   
   1. Let’s say Ward Cleaver, Jed Clampett, Bobby Ewing,  or Marie Barone etc.
      
3. You can do an internet search to for some show info and trivia. The Scammers are going to want Address Phone number…etc.
   
   1. One of the the addresses for the Cleavers is 485 Mapleton Drive in Mayfield. You can make up a state and a zip. If you go to Goolge and type in a most cities, you can probably find a state with that city or something close.
      
   2. Since they want a phone number look up city hall or the police department in the nearest city to that zip.
      
4. They are going to want your password. I like using Ex0dus2015 (Exodus 20:15 is Thou shall not steal)
   
5. Most of the sites don’t do any verification for credit card numbers, so you can make one up if you know the basic rules. If you want to be really good you can look up some of the rules (http://www.beachnet.com/~hstiles/cardtype.html)
   
6. They are going to want a Social Security Number, again you can either make one up or use some of the ones floating out there on the internet. I know a person who uses 457-55-5462. Which is the SSN for Todd David of LifeLock.
   
7. They are going to want Account Numbers and PINs. Again most sites don’t have any verification codes. You can type in your old girl friend/ boy friend’s phone number as the account number and their BDay as the Pin.
   
8. Some sites ask for things like Mother’s maiden name, favorite book, all those things you might have used on sites to create your virtual ID. Don’t use anything you would use. You can use Non-Sense words instead. (it Jabberwork, Tribble, Tatoonie, Expelliarmus… etc)
   
9. Make up anything and everything else you may be asked
   
10. Then submit it.
    

Congratulations you have just put a boot on the phishers hook

In general there are a few things you can do not to become a victim.

1. Never respond to requests for personal information via e-mail. (Name, SSN, etc)
   
2. Visit Web sites by typing the URL into your address bar. (never click on embedded links)
   
3. Check to make sure the Web site is using encryption. (it should be https:\\\www..com)
   
4. Routinely review your credit card and bank statements and credit report (annualfreecreditreport.com)
   
5. Report suspected abuses to the proper authorities..
   

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to meeting the safety needs of you, your friends, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility arm yourself, or your business with our products and the knowledge of the best way to stay safe in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option. -Victor Swindell

Choosing the correct Security Camera

I received a phone call the other day for a customer looking for a good Nanny Cam or Surveillance camera. She wasn’t really sure what she needed to buy, so I thought I would discuss the different types of camera that are available on the market for those looking to add some type of surveillance in their crime fighting countermeasures. Catching someone doing a criminal act on camera can provide valuable evidence in court or much more.  A video record also provides intelligent data mining and information retrieval if you want to know exactly what happened in any place or situation you want to monitor.

If you have decided in taking responsibility of the safety of your home or business but don’t know what you need to get started , read on.  You need to decide whether to go for the classic CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) based surveillance, web cameras attached to your PC, or the more recent IP (Internet Protocol) camera technology, or even a digital video Recorder.

The CCTV Type

CCTV cameras can produce images or recordings for surveillance purposes, and can be either video cameras, or digital stills cameras. Originally, video surveillance was done using closed circuit television.  This tried-and-true technology uses analog video cameras, coaxial cable and video tape recording devices (VCRs, or DVRs).  These cameras devices transmit a signal to a specific, limited set of monitors.  CCTV systems typically involve a fixed communications link between cameras and monitors, using wires and cables.  This method records what is happening, but does not send you alerts.  CCTV works like a VCR, you have to change cassettes, image quality is average, storage tapes wear out over time, and storage is bulky.  Also, the cameras, monitors, and recorders must be physically close enough together to be connected by cables. This camera type is used by residential, businesses and governments.

The Web Cameras Type

A Web Camera (webcam)  is a video capture device connected to a computer or computer network, often using a USB port or, if connected to a network, Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Web Cams uses the PC to make video available to other viewers. They can be used in conjunction with programs like MS Messenger and Skype to have video conversations with your friends. Images from a web camera can be accessed over the Internet with the help of monitoring software.  Web cam images can be uploaded to a web server, either continuously or at regular intervals. Webcams are currently being used effectively for security purposes.  Webcams can be used to monitor and record activity in small offices, shops and homes.  Monitoring software, such as WebCam Monitor, is needed to complete a video security system.  A web camera works only if it is directly attached to a PC.  You will need a long cable if you want to monitor something that is not near the PC the web cam is attached to.  Web cameras can only be directly read and controlled by one host computer and cannot be shared across a network, but you can view it’s shared images from any internet connected computer. These devices can be found in almost any store which sell computer equipment (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Staples, E-bay, or even Amazon.com)

The IP Camera Type

With the age of the Internet, there have been great strides in video surveillance.  In many cities you can view traffic camera from your home computer.  An IP camera (network camera) is different to a traditional CCTV camera in that the device can transmit data directly over an Ethernet link. IP cameras have an Ethernet port for connecting a network cable, and stream digital video. IP cameras are stand-alone devices that connect to your Ethernet or wireless network. There are two types of IP cameras available – centralized and decentralized.  An IP camera acts like a computer on a network, allowing you to view its video feed from anywhere in your network or over the Internet.  You can monitor multiple cameras at multiple locations from one remote site.  The digital picture quality is superior to analog.  Recordings are highly compressed for easier storage.  Did you ever see the news story of the woman who used her IP camera to catch thieves breaking into her home?

The DVR Spy Camera Type

For all of you would be 007s out there. There is a line of miniature Digital Video Recording devices that can be used to capturing limited video recordings. A DVR Spy Cam is a type of micro DVR which is built into a deceptive package and made to resemble a small object, such as a clock, car remote, pack of cigarettes, sunglasses, or a wrist watch, Known by numerous terms such as cam stick, gum cam, nanny cam, thumb cam, etc., these devices will often function according to their apparent purpose, as in a pen cam that actually writes. Recently, spy cams have increased in popularity due to child care concerns. However, that’s just one possible implementation. The device can be used while your home is being cleaned, for occasional in-home sitter services, for security purposes and a host of other possibilities.  Starting in 2008, spy cams became increasingly popular due to their falling prices and advances in technology allowing for smaller cheaper memory. This meant that the cams could typically record over an hour of video onto built-in memory before needing to offload their recorded content. Many of these devices have a slot/receptacle for a micro SD flash memory card which will expand its recording capacity by several hours. In order to offload the recorded video, it must be connected to a computer’s USB port, at which point it will function as a conventional thumb drive that contains standard video files.

Where do you Start?

When you’re in the market for some security surveillance systems, you may want to ask yourself several questions before you determine what is most suitable for your needs. Do you want to stream over the Internet so you can view your cameras from multiple locations live via the Web? What are you intending to prevent or detect from having a camera system in place? Is a wireless surveillance system a more efficient surveillance system? These are just a few of the many questions you may want to ask yourself. There are several web site or blogs that could answer you questions in more detail

After you have selected the appropriate video surveillance system, take some time to plan and design your system

PepperEyes.com is dedicated to meeting the safety needs of you, your friends, your family members or your business, by assisting anyone who is unwilling to become a victim of crime.  If you want to take personal responsibility arm yourself, or your business with our products and the knowledge of the best way to stay safe in an ever-increasing violent world. In today’s society being equipped mentally and physically is no longer an option.