For most people, summer is the time of year to look forward to. Nice weather, long days at the pool, and no school! However, for law enforcement, summer means more issues and more crime. Without additional resources, law enforcement and property owners rely on private security to fill in the gaps.
Heat Wave, Crime Wave
According to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, some cities see as much as a 35% increase in crime rates during the summer months. Some of the crime categories within that statistic include:
· 11% increase in Burglaries
· 8% increase in larceny
· 10% increase in sexual assaults
· 11.5% increase in domestic abuse
Obviously, this correlation between crime and summer isn’t a coincidence, but what really causes it? For starters, school is out and kids have more spare time and less structure. While most kids aren’t out robbing businesses, their mischief can eat up officers’ time giving more opportunity to real criminals. People also travel more in the summer, leaving their property vulnerable. Even those who stay home still leave themselves more vulnerable in the summer by leaving windows and garages open. Summer time also allows for people to spend more time outside grilling and partying which leads to increased alcohol consumption. Combine that with heat fatigue and you see a rise of people with short tempers.
Staying Safe
Summer is meant to be enjoyed, and the statistics above aren’t meant to dissuade anyone from doing just that, but they are important to know so that you can minimize any opportunities for these fun-crushing criminals. Most solutions are very simple: know what your kids are doing and where they are, keep your garage door closed and your windows locked at night, ask your neighbors or family to watch your house on vacation, and stay hydrated. Businesses on the other hand don’t have as simple of solutions.
A Custom Security Solution
Most businesses in today’s world have some sort of security already, whether that be a front gate, security cameras, or alarm system. These are valuable solutions, but don’t really prevent the crime from happening in the first place, especially when you consider that police response times can range from 15 minutes to non-existent. Around 95% of alarm calls are false alarms, so police often respond to more pressing calls before they get to an alarm call.
Instead, many businesses have turned to private security as their solution. Signal Security is one such company, but does things a little differently than most security companies. Signal’s local franchises offer custom solutions for each property’s needs such as patrols for custom times periods, pool lock-ups, foot patrols, real-time GPS tracking, alarm response, and video reporting. Instead of posting a guard by a door for 8 hours, Signal is there when and where you need them.
