With high profile politicians swapping their limos for bikes and corporate social responsibility high on the agenda, it’s quite possible your MD sets a green example by leaving the office every night clad in dayglo lycra with a plastic lattice cake on his head.
So it’s probably best to play down those times when you’ve been inches away from being mown down on a crossing when the green man’s in your favour.
As far as policing is concerned, the ‘bobby on a bike’ has seemed like a relic of the fifties. Why should they peddle around at twelve mph when they could be cruising their patch in a 2 litre turbo charged Subaru Imprezza?
But suddenly, bike patrols are back, and nothing like the cycling bobbies of the past. Yes, mountain bikes are one of the best ways of solving a big problem of our times – groups of youths causing a disturbance.
A bike patrol in Dorset has been achieving great results with high spec mountain bikes which have proven to be much more effective than anticipated.
Forget the unwieldy squad car that has to park half a mile away from the playground being vandalised. Footpaths, alleyways and parks are suddenly accessible to the bike patrol who travel a lot faster than those on two feet. It’s also broken down barriers between youths and officers and made it easier for police to flag them down and talk to them.
This seems to me to be the perfect compromise between the public’s increasing calls for more beat patrols and the police’s need for fast car response.
The Dorset success story is down to an installation company – Wessex Fire & Security – who donated the bikes. So well done to Wessex and I’m sure that as the public demand a more effective police response to youth disturbance, we’ll soon see the bike idea being peddled in many more constabularies.
Don’t forget the cost
As CCTV seems to have been getting a battering of late, I’m a bit reluctant to draw attention to another one of those anti-CCTV snipes increasingly popping up in the national media. The fact that the latest one is from a respected commentator might have given it more credibility but the arguments covered the same old ground.
Here we go again – “Orwellian effects”, “spying on naked women in their own homes”, “selling best-of videos” etc
However, I mention it only for the reason that I was impressed with the strength of an argument against it, sent to me this week.
While Bruce Schneier’s article appeared in a national newspaper and was extensively reproduced across the web, as far as I’m aware, this retort by IP video specialist John Honovich has only appeared on his own website. But it deserves to be more widely read.
Basing his argument around the cost issue at the heart of Schneier’s criticism, he makes the valid point that a police officer is about 300 to 600 times more expensive than a security camera.
You might want to repeat that point the next time someone argues that CCTV is only a second best.
What’s your diagnosis?
Visitors to our website info4security sprang heroically to the aid of an installer in distress with night time CCTV image problems. There were some great responses that showed a wide breadth of knowledge and helpfulness. Now what’s your view on this problem from a Security Installer reader? Our CCTV Doctor has given his diagnosis but can you give a second opinion? And if you’ve got a CCTV ailment that needs some group practise treatment, email me.
Remotely interesting
The pace of security already makes IFSEC 2008 seem like a distant memory. But the show leaves a trail behind that shapes security for the following year and beyond. So – aside from those launches and events – what were the major trends that came from it? In my summing up of the event I’ve attempted to grasp the big issues that are shaping electronic security. You may disagree or think I’ve overlooked significant trends installers should know about. Why not email me.
One thing I did overlook is something being increasingly mentioned in security conversations. As fuel prices rocket, those two words “remote diagnostics” become ever more attractive. It was emphasised at the launch event of Chiron’s new Iris Touch last week and alarm manufacturers are starting to hoist this up their list of attractions.
Not surprising, as, at the going rate of fuel hikes, you’ll soon have to arrange a loan to carry out a maintenance call.
According to one survey, the economic slowdown is adding to the burden of many installation companies that are having to take on debt just to cover costs. There are 160 UK companies in this sorry state of escalating debt, zero growth and sliding profit.
While some sectors of security are bound to the fortunes of UK construction, the industry also has the innate ability to ride out the dreaded “R” word now being openly mentioned in the national media.
Those who remember say the industry largely rode out the last recession following the simplistic equation that more unemployment equals more poverty equals more crime equals more security. Let’s hope that theory is not put to the test.
Headline newsmaker
Sales and marketing skills have traditionally been a weak point for installers. Believing that a job well done is the best advertising, many would rather just get on with the job than have to sell themselves.
It’s been suggested that for smaller, regional installers it’s worth producing flyers/ publicity linked to local events – a local crime wave or community anti-crime initiative.
While not an installer, the acknowledged new master of this security promotion linked to national events has to be Bill Seddon of Gardien, the garden security experts.
A couple of months ago I wrote how Bill had been sending out press releases linked to big news issues such as the theft of metal from your garden that ends up used in Far Eastern “tiger” economies: “‘Tigers’ threaten UK gardens”.
Then following the spring gales we had “High winds bring new threat to gardens” (ie, blown down fences make it easy for thieves).
Last month we had “Cats at risk in gardens” – not the furry ones but catalytic converters at risk of being stolen from the car parked in your driveway.
Now Bill has seized on the global food crisis for his latest press release “Veg hit by credit crunch” – yes, apparently the rising cost of vegetables has sparked off a new crime trend in stolen home produce, so watch those garden strawberries and tomatoes.
Despite this blatant striving for an up to the minute “angle” Bill always makes credible points that installers will find interesting about protecting the outside of a property. See for yourself.
So what other angles could he come up with?
As a lot of barbeques were rained off at the weekend how about “Abandoned barbies are hot prospect for thieves” or – as sales of expensive tennis kit always increases in the wake of Wimbledon – how about “Don’t let Nadal’s triumph spark garden theft racket”?
I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, hail the new marketing master. You could do worse than take a leaf out of Bill’s book.
See you next time
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