You may think “What’s new about that?” It’s common knowledge that this sector, once the biggest, has been slowing down for years.
According to another report on domestic security, most people don’t even think their neighbours would come to their aid if an alarm went off.
Given this situation, the last thing the alarm industry needs is a general declaration to intruders – don’t worry you won’t go to jail no matter what. But isn’t that what we’ve now got?
Supposing your alarm does lead to an arrest? How likely is it that the intruder will get anything like the kind of treatment the victim thinks they deserve?
Despite it’s endless anti-crime gimmicks, it’s tempting to believe this government’s overriding goal is to keep people out of our overcrowded prisons at any cost.
The latest guidelines given to judges and magistrates tell them to take into account the offender’s dependency when sentencing. Desperation or need should be a mitigating factor.
Most people have a certain amount of grudging sympathy for those who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or even gambling (or at least sympathy for their families). Despite maybe feeling that addicts ultimately bring it on themselves, they can see that prison is not always the best option.
However that sympathy will wear thin if we increasingly hear addiction being used in court as an absolution for those who prey on the law abiding majority.
Your anti-intruder security systems are only as good as the deterrent – or the “teeth” – behind them. With these new guidelines in place you’d be forgiven for thinking those teeth increasingly seem like soft gums.
Stat’s not gospel
Despite the above, I’d like to think that those industry surveys on the alarms sector could be proven wrong. Market predictions should not be taken as gospel.
I reckon we may yet see new concepts that will breathe life into intruder alarms. And, even if these predictions are correct, a sector that’s worth GB pound 612 million (at today’s prices) in four years time is certainly not to be sniffed at.
Whisper campaign
Along the same lines, I’m sure it’s possible to start an industry trend by a whisper in the correct ear. You could probably mention a plausible product or industry trend one day at IFSEC and hear it repeated back to you the next as word on the street – proving that word of mouth marketing does work.
But I don’t think that’s a factor with the next big thing – megapixel technology.
This springs from the genuine need to improve evidential images – coupled with improved compression algorithms. The cost of storage is also tumbling (but we’d better keep quiet about that or it’ll end up in Mr Darling’s High Street shopping basket in a desperate bid to prove that inflation is not rocketing).
Expect the big companies to launch products in this field. I went on one such “mega” launch to Japan. Read about it here.
Sound evidence
At a time of regular depressing reports of people dying at the hands of thugs, and while the industry frets about the quality of its images, it’s interesting to see that some surveillance is better than none at all.
CCTV proved effective in this case, if not for its images. The audio recording of this gang carrying out the attack proved to be A key piece of evidence.
While civil libertarians have balked against an audio surveillance capability, here it proved its worth.
Full marks for initiative
A few years ago I used to get PR pictures from a proprietor who was not camera shy. Every time his company did an unusual installation, say at a sports arena or rock venue, he’d submit pictures of himself in cricket whites or playing the guitar.
Not quite in the same league, but full marks to Bill Seddon of Gardien “the number one site for garden security”
It was only launched at Christmas, but already we’ve had press releases linked to topical issues such as the theft of metal from your garden that ends up used in Far Eastern “tiger” economies: “‘Tigers’ threaten UK gardens”
Now, following the recent gales, I’ve been sent a press release: “High winds bring new threat to gardens” (ie, blown down fences make it easy for thieves … actually a very good point).
However, with Bill’s knack for topical angles and with Easter coming up I will be expecting some topical press release in the next few days … along the lines of “Don’t let Easter Bunny’s eggs end up in garden thief’s basket” or “Quality of Easter egg packaging could be giveaway to the contents in your garden shed”. Know what I mean?
His site is worth a visit (click here) as it makes some seriously valid points in a readable format. But I have to question his assessment that the contents of the average garden shed are valued at more than GB pound 1,300.
My shed currently has a pile of half empty paint pots, four garden chairs (one with three legs), a beaten up hover mower, my dad’s old rake and a badminton net, total value GB pound 30, if I’m lucky. Am I so untypical Bill?
See you next time