The Electronic Family Guard Dog

January 28th, 2012

The HomeSafe Electronic Barking Watch Dog Alarm Kit

I was watching a situation comedy the other night that reminded me of how violated people feel when they have been the victim of a home Burglary.

 During the TV episode, the character’s apartment was burglarized. All his electronic equipment, compact music discs and movies were stolen. Not only did he loose his property, he felt much violated and even though he did not live alone, he developed a fear that he was no longer safe in his apartment.

He added extra door locks and an elaborate alarm system, but when he began hearing noises, even the extra security didn’t help him feel safe. He decided that the city he lived in was unsafe, so he decided to find a better place to live.  

 He researched the entire United States and found a small town with the lowest crime rate. He packed up his belongings and traveled to the new town. When he arrived, he was greeted by a young man who offered to help him with his bags. When he gave the bags to the helpful young man, he ran away with his bags.

 This episode was fiction, but the point is that crime happens everywhere. You can’t move away from it.

 Many victims I have spoken with over my Law Enforcement career had one thing in common. They all felt violated because their castle, the one place they felt safe, had been broken into.

 The property was usually insured, but the suspects were never seen, so the victims now didn’t know who to trust, or if the suspect(s) would come back for something missed. 

 While people rarely move away because of a break in, they do take action and change locks, add security systems, and video cameras. This helps bring peace of mind, knowing you would be protected if there is another break in. But to ready, you need to be proactive and prepare for the probability that someday, your house will be chosen to see how easy it will be to break into.

 There are many ways to protect your property, but for the rest of this article, I want to talk about just one.

 I found a product that is a little out of the box. Most security systems sound an alarm after a break in has happened. What if your system could stop a Burglary before it happens?

 Having a large indoor family guard dog is a good deterrent for someone thinking about breaking into your house; the idea being that another house will be an easier target than yours. Think about the last time you walked up to a house and were met at the closed door by a large sounding barking dog? If you are like me, and most people, it makes you think that going into that house is not the best idea. But what if you can’t, don’t have the time, or desire to care for a live animal?

The answer I found is the HomeSafe Electronic Barking Watch Dog Alarm. It gives you that large sounding barking dog without having to actually own a living animal to feed and clean up after.

The expandable Homesafe Electronic barking dog alarm uses a unique Microwave sensor technology that can see through wood, brick, glass, and most other walls and doors. The only thing I know of that it does not see through is metal.

 How it works:

 The main unit is placed in an area you want to protect. When motion is detected in the sensor area, the electronic family guard dog alarm will bark. If detection continues, the varied barking dog sounds will continue until motion is no longer detected.

 Up to 16 additional sensors can be placed on doors, windows, or walls to protect other areas of your home. Although these do not see through walls, if entry to the home is made, that large barking dog will sound from the other room.

 From inside the home, it sounds like there is a large barking dog. Enough to make a would be intruder think twice.

 The included remote control can activate, disarm, or set off the barking dog alarm with a panic button.

 There are also settings to have the alarm chime or sound like a normal alarm.

 The Electronic barking dog alarm is proactive thinking for your personal and home’s protection.

The Electronic Barking Family Watch Dog Alarm is powered by an included 12 volt adapter and has a battery backup (batteries not included)

 You can find out more about the HomeSafe Barking dog alarm at www.forsecuritysake.com .

 

Prepare For Self Defense With Non Lethal Weapons

January 27th, 2012

I joined the Boy Scouts at the age of 10 and I first learned about the Scout motto Be Prepared at that time. At the age of 14 I switched to Police Cadet Explorer, which turned into a life long career. That motto has stuck with me throughout my life. I believe that it is a fact that between my Guardian angle and following that Scout motto, I have been saved from great bodily harm more than I care to talk with my family about.  

 

A California police officer must prepare for self defense and carries a number of products on his body and duty belt that would rival some cartoon super heroes.

A uniform tells his co workers who he is in a given situation.

A bullet proof vest provides protection from gun shots and other weapons.

At least one pair of handcuffs to keep suspects under control.

Up to three or more non lethal weapons to help bring a suspect under control and to protect the officer when it is needed.

These include:

A can of Pepper spray

A baton

A Taser or stun gun

A handgun with 12 to 18 rounds of preloaded ammunition, when lethal force is necessary

Extra ammunition

And fast becoming a needed product; some type of video device to record incidents with sound

 

In addition to these always carried products, some special and dedicated officers have a trained  K9 or (Police Dog) to help find and disable suspects and to find evidence.  

Police officers train all the time to use these products and K9s, so they will be ready when they are needed. (Notice that there is a when, not an if in the above sentence.)

 

Today when you watch the news, or read the paper, you will notice that the number of police officers on the street have been cut by large amounts, due to the economy. The latest in my area is Isleton , California; because the city could not pay their State Comp insurance bill, the policy was canceled and the police department closed down. The already strapped Sacramento County Sheriff Department had to take over emergency calls, but the sheriff advised that his department would not take routine calls for service.

 

Now that I am retired, I see the continued need to be prepared for myself. We still have law enforcement, but they will not be able to get to us as fast. Even when police departments have a full staff, the majority of police officers arrive at emergency calls for service after the incident is over.

 

So we need to protect ourselves. I still prefer to prepare for self defense with a non lethal Pepper Spray and a Taser stun gun. Why not a handgun?

A handgun carries with it a number of risks that you may not think of:

 

First you must train and train often to be sure that you know how to use it, if it is ever needed.

It must be cleaned and oiled often to keep it operational.

And here are a few questions that you must ask:

Is it legal for me to carry it?

Do you know how to load it?

Where is the safety?

How do you aim it?

What happens to the bullet if the gun is fired and the target is missed? For starters; It can go through a car door and out the second door and if fired inside the home, several walls and / or family members.

On top of those, you have to ask yourself this important Question: Can my kids get to it. In most cases the answer to that question is yes.

Do you think a handgun is safe under your pillow, or on the top shelf of a closet? Think again. Kids are smart and quick.

A recent tragic incident in the Sacramento California area happened to a decorated Sheriff Deputy. He was in his garage cleaning his handgun(s). He finished and loaded one and placed it back on his cleaning table. He turned to get something and his five year old daughter quickly picked it up and shot herself by accident. She died almost instantly.

 

Non Lethal weapons still need to be maintained and there are some restrictions you need to know about.

Those with batteries need to be checked for power.

Pepper Spray needs to be replaced after four years because of possible leaks and loss of propellant pressure.

But when you prepare for self defense with non lethal weapons the chance for tragedies like the one above are nil. 

 

Our mission at www.ForSecuritySake.com is to help you and your families live safer and more secure in your daily lives. Visit our site for information on Stun Gun and Pepper Spray laws.

 

For more information on why Non Lethal weapons are the best choice for you to prepare for Self Defense with non lethal weapons

Read my blog post Non Lethal Weapons Are The Best Choice For Self Defense for more information.

 

Non Lethal Weapons Are The Best Choice For Self Defense

January 25th, 2012

After a long law Enforcement career I have come to the decision that Non Lethal Weapons are the best choice for self defense and home protection.

Things are not always what they seem to be. I have come across numerous situations where a lethal weapon, such as a firearm, has been detrimental instead of life saving.  I would like to share a few of these true stories with you.

One involved a good friend of mine that was working at a open all night store and gas station. A place that we called “stop and rob” stores back then. As protection, my friend chose to take a snub nose 38 handgun to work with him.

One night while he was attending the gas pumps, a man walked up to my friend with money in his hand to pay for just purchased fuel. Just as the man reached out to give my friend the money, he dropped it. As my friend reached down to pick it up, the man hit him over the head with a crow bar. My friend reached for his gun but could not take aim due to his injury. The man hit him again and took the gun from my friend. The man decided he wanted to keep the all the amunition in the gun and fled with some loot from the store. My friend ended up with a near fatal scull fracture and the man was later arrested and sent to prison.

What could have worked better in this situation is OC Pepper Spray. The pepper spray could have been aimed and fired in a general direction of the attacker’s face. The attacker would have been disoriented and blinded which may have saved my friend from the second blow of the crow bar.

 

My second incident is about a parent living in a two story house. This parent’s teenage daughter was asleep in a second story bedroom, a place that most people feel is safe from intruders from the outside.

This parent could not sleep and was watching TV at 4 o’clock in the morning. He heard a noise on the roof of the house. It sounded like someone was walking up the roof. Knowing that there was an accessible window from that side of the roof, the parent went to his safe, opened it and loaded his single action Ruger 44 magnum. ( Clint Eastwood made the 44 magnum famous in the movie Dirty Harry  by declaring it the most powerful hand gun in the world). The parent took the gun upstairs and walked into his daughter’s bedroom just as the intruder was making his way through her window.  The parent began to raise the gun to point it at the intruder and flinched, accidentally firing the cocked 44 magnum. The intruder was grazed in the head, knocking him out. He rolled off of the roof and landed in the home driveway.

What at first looked like an averted attack, turned into an almost tragic incident instead. The intruder turned out to be a stepson that had gotten drunk and was attempting to sneek back into the house without waking a parent.

What would have worked better here is a Taser C2. The Taser can shoot two darts that will stick to an attacker and shock for a period of thirty seconds, disrupting the ability of the attacker to control muscles. This can allow you to get family and yourself away and call for help. The Taser can also function as a stungun by pressing it against the attacker while delivering a shock.

 

The third story is about a married couple where the husband worked the graveyard shift. The husband had purchased a handgun and had his wife promise to keep the handgun near her for protection.

One night the husband became ill and went home sick. Not wanting to wake up his wife, the husband decided to sneek into the bedroom and slip into bed next to his wife. He was able to pull up the sheets before she shot him. Although not fatal, the marrage was not the same after that night.

What would have worked better here would have been a Stun Master stun gun. A stun gun disrupts the muscle actions of an attacker and can cause confusion and muscle disfunction. This can allow you to get away and call for help.

All three of these situations would have been better served by Non Leathal Weapons. They work as well in most situations and don’t leave you in that life long dread of having taken a life, especially if it was by mistake.

To learn more about non leathal products, visit us at www.ForSecuritySake.com

 

 

 

Tazer Products Will Help Protect You And Your Family

January 24th, 2012

It is only a short time  into the new year and it already has days of violence news in the headlines. One that stands out, is about a young woman newly widowed and facing the challenge of having to take care of her baby as a single mother.

A short time after her husband’s funeral, the woman received a knock at her door. She was confronted with a young man that tried to talk his way into her home. She refused and he left.

Later the man came back again with a friend and started to force their way into the woman’s home. She retreated to a bedroom where she blockaded the door, obtained two weapons- one of which was a shotgun-, and called law enforcement for help. 

The dispatch tape of this call has been released and you can hear the woman ask the dispatcher if she could shoot the men if they entered her bedroom. The dispatcher told her that she could not give permission, but that she needed to do what ever was needed to protect her baby.

The men reportedly forcibly entered the bedroom with a knife and one of them was killed when the women used the shotgun. The second suspect ran away.

The way this was reported shows that the woman thought about her family’s safety first and she was able to protect her baby and herself successfully. If she didn’t have her weapons, or if she hadn’t  known how to use them, this situation would have had a very different ending.

Are you ready for a similar thing if it were to happen to you? If you prefer not to use, or don’t have a firearm, do you have a non-lethal Taser C2, Pepper Spray, or a Stun gun? The time to prepare is now. The above type of incident can happen to anyone anywhere.

Non-Lethal weapons can be a better choice than a lethal firearm, because you won’t hesitate to use them. Although the experience is tramatic to begin with, adding the burden that you took a life stays with you forever.  A non- lethal product will cause pain, or temporally incapacitate an attacker while you get safely away.

Personally, I prefer to carry a  Taser, or Stun Gun and Pepper Spray wherever my family goes. Lets compare each of these non lethal weapons.

Taser C2, sometimes misspelled  Tazer, products will help protect you and your family. Specifically designed for the general public, the Taser C2 works similar to and can work as a stun gun, but has darts that shoot out to the attacker.  Wires from the darts connected to the Taser body allow a 30 second burst of electrical pulses that shock the recipient of the darts with 50,000 volts.  The Taser is designed for you to drop the Taser while the attacker is unable to control his muscles for 30 seconds, giving you time to get away and get help.  You can get more information and watch our Taser Videos by clicking on this link.

Pepper Spray is inexpensive, easy to carry in a car, pocket, or purse, and is effective. Sprayed in the face of an attacker pepper spray will cause a burning sensation and cause the attacker to be confused and unable to focus.

A Stun Gun is inexpensive, easy to carry in a car, belt holster, pocket, or purse. Holding an activated stun gun against an attacker can cause pain, muscle dysfunction, and disorientation.

You can learn more and purchase these products at http://www.ForSecuritySake.com

 Be ready! Protect your family and yourself.

 

 

Steering Wheel Alarms Help Protect Your Entire Car

December 16th, 2011

It is shopping time. Our mission at ForSecuritySake is to help people go about their daily lives in a safer way, by providing helpful information and products. Today we would like tell you about how portable inexpensive Steering Wheel Alarms help protect your entire car.

Last year the FBI reported that there was a Burglary every 14.6 seconds and there was an auto theft every 42.8 seconds.  Those statistics are for the year 2010 and as we get closer to Christmas, or other national gift giving time, your chances of becoming a victim rises. We can blame politics, the economy, or high unemployment, but the fact is that theft of gifts from vehicles is high again this year.

In 2011, the crime of Auto Burglary has increased so much that our police department has erected signs at the entrance of shopping mall parking lots. Those signs warn shoppers to lock their vehicles and not to leave packages in the visible areas.

In most cases a thief looks for an easy to enter vehicle that has the most to offer for the risk. Lets look at two SUVs parked side by side in a packed mall parking lot.

One SUV is packed with visible gifts, has the windows cracked open, and has no active alarm system.

The other SUV has closed tented rear windows, locked doors,  and a visible portable steering wheel alarm.

The thief is going to look even harder at the first vehicle as a target. As with the second vehicle, the way to reduce your risk is to make your vehicle look like a harder target than other cars near you.

The fact is that many thieves think differently then an honest person. During my Law Enforcement career, I have interviewed many suspects and I would like to tell you about one of them.

A woman had been shopping and while unloading her car at home, she left her purse and some packages on top of her car. She walked into her house and was back out to her car within a minute. When she came back out, she noticed her purse and packages were gone and saw a car pulling away from the home next door.

I was able to locate and arrest the suspect, an ex-con, within a couple of blocks. During the interview he was eager to tell me his side as he had done nothing wrong. He said that when someone leaves their property on top of their car, he has the right to take it because the owner is inviting him to. He said they are willingly giving the property away. Nothing I said to this man could change his mind.

In 40 years of my Law Enforcement experience, the right to take it,  or the common ” I don’t know why I did it”, were the two most common excuses a suspect gave for a theft.

A Steering Wheel Alarm will help protect your property and your car from thieves like the one I interviewed above. If you protect your property to the point that the alarm is what is seen first, there is a great chance that the thief will move to another target.

Here are a few other shopping tips.

It is better to shop at an area that is well lit at night, has parking lot security, and doesn’t have a on ramp to a major freeway near the parking lot entrance.

Pay attention to what is going on as you pull into a parking lot and continue to look around until you get into the store. When you come out with packages, look again to see who is still there and if there is a help out service have them walk you to your car.

Shopping days often brings the need to take purchases to your vehicle and go on to the next store. If your car has a trunk, place your packages there. If not place the packages in an area that is hard to see. Cover them up with something like  an old blanket. Activate that alarm!

Carry a self defense product like a Taser, Stun Gun, Pepper Spray, or personal alarm. Have it ready to use as you walk to your transportation.

If you have an alarm system you need to activate it when you are away from your vehicle. Our Portable inexpensive Steering wheel alarms help protect your entire car and have warning lights that blink. This will make the thief  think twice before choosing your car to break into. These alarms are easy to use, can be attached in less than a minute, and have remote control activation and disarm functions.

Our main goal today is for you to be safe out there during all of your shopping days!

Have a safe and happy shopping experience.

 

Coyotes, Jackrabbits, & Raccoons oh my! Where is my animal repellent?

September 14th, 2011

We live in The San Joaquin Valley, California and it is not uncommon to see Jack Rabbits, and Raccoons on the farm land around us. Is not unusual to hear Coyote yelps and screams if you are fishing around area lakes and Rivers, but it is, or I should say was, unusual to see these animals walking down city streets, attacking people in their carports, and chasing small animals inside your house.

But that is just what has been happening California:

Other than sighting many jackrabbits in home gardens, other specific incidents have been worthy enough to make the newspaper and television news.

In San Diego County, a Coyote was sighted chasing a cat down the middle of a gated community street.

In East Lake, a resident reported hearing coyotes hysterics near by as a pack captured their dinner.

A Rancho Penisquitas resident, reported that here neighbor’s dog was taken from a fenced yard, by a possible coyote, and that they are now afraid to leave their dog outside.

A Spring Valley resident, reported that a coyote chased a dog through a dogie door right into the house surprising the owner who was then in a fight to save her pet.

In Sacramento, a young woman was attacked by raccoon, twice, while walking from her car to her front door. She is now undergoing rabies treatment.

In densely populated area of Stockton, a set of three raccoon cubs were found living in a home owner’s back yard tree.

And in Glendale, an entire pack of coyotes have taken up residence in an upscale neighborhood home that burned last November.

These are just some of the incidents reported in our area. We need to change the way we treat our pets and garbage and we have another use for animal repellent pepper spray.

First understand that animals that normally live in the wild, are loosing their homes and food sources, as we spread out our cities to accommodate the growing population. So they move down from the hills looking for food and nesting areas.

Help keep them away from your home by:

Placing garbage in cans with animal proof lids.

If possible, watch your small pets while they are outside or place them in pens.

Don’t leave out pet food where wild animals will find an easy source of food.

If you have yard or a home garden, consider fencing it in and research methods to repel animals from it. There are chemical, electrical, and electronic animal repellents on the market.

If you see a wild animal, keep your distance. There are recent cases of rabies transmission from a paw scratch.

Keep animal repellent nearby. You never know when it could be needed to save your pet, or child from an animal attack.

But above all, be safe out there!

 

 

 

WildFire Defensible Space Safety And a Great Knife

September 7th, 2011

At the bottom of this article, we have placed a short raw video from the current Texas Wildfires. It shows how fast a wildfire moves and it also shows how some trees are spared while others explode into a fireball.

Defensible space is a term used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It is the yard space around your home that must be cleared of flammable vegetation to reduce the chance that a wildfire will destroy your home.

 

By law, in California, you must clear an area 30 feet from your home of surrounding flammable vegetation. This includes keeping tree limbs 10 feet from a home chimney and adding a less than 1/2 inch mesh screen over the chimney.


You must also reduce flammable vegetation an additional 70 feet surrounding your home.  This includes:


Trimming tree limbs from the ground to keep the fire from climbing a verticle ladder into the tree.


Removing plants from under trees.


Spacing plants vertically and horizontally to help keep fire from jumping from one to the other.


Remove all needles from your roof and gutter.


You can download a pdf of the requirements at Cal Fires Website. These requirements are for California, but the tips apply anywhere. Check your local laws for your area’s requirements.


Now for the video. We chose this video because it has a camera placement that can see the fire progression. It also reminds us of the Wildfire fire we were trapped in 2007. The fire was called the Angora Fire and happened in tha area of South Lake Tahoe, California.


We were camping and had just a few minutes to evacuate our fifth wheel trailer from our campground. We happened to have a great knife with us that helped us cut tie lines and reduce the amount of time it took to move out. We were able to move but could not get out of the area. We had to spend the night at Pope Beach and watch the fire progress toward us. You can read about that story by clicking  A good folding knife can save you.



This type of fire can happen in any area that has grass, trees and homes. Many people have lost homes in this fire and it is only 30% contained.


An Old Lake Tahoe Casino Idea Worked Better Than A Diversion Safe?

August 31st, 2011

Click on the photo to see the KCRA 3 report

I believe that diversion safes are one of the best ways to protect small valuables, jewelry, and money. Diversion safes, also referred to as concealment devices are safes made of, or made to look like common household items for the purpose of concealing valuables. The whole idea is to keep important things that may draw the attention of a thief in the most regular of items and in places where they would least expect.

I think I have found a one time situation that worked better than a diversion safe could.

I was a young police cadet 42 years ago, but I remember this true story like it was yesterday, because while my parents vacationed in South Lake Tahoe, Barney’s Casino Teen Center is where I stayed.

It happened in 1968, near Zepher Cove, in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Richard Chartrand, owner of Barney’s Casino at State Line South Lake Tahoe, was killed while backing out of his home driveway.

The professional style car bomb that exploded, killing him, sent the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department into a deep investigation that is still ongoing. They still have all of the evidence from the crime scene, including the car.

I remember information coming through our police department, causing rumors that this was a mob hit, because of missing money.

The building that housed Barney’s Casino back then, has been owned by several people since and it wasn’t until this week that construction crews found a hidden 4 foot safe under a stairway, completely sealed off by metal studs and Sheetrock.

KCRA TV in Sacramento, California, reports that the current owner of the building, Mike Laub, was remodeling when demolition crews found the safe. Prior owners have been contacted and none had knowledge that the safe was there all those years.

Since the safe’s discovery, people have been offering  large sums of money for the safe as is. Others have tried to break into the facility where it is stored. Lock smiths have offered to crack the safe, but the safe has yet to be opened.

Since no owner of the building admits to knowledge of the safe, investigators think it might have belonged to murder victim Richard Chartrand.

So on September 5th, or 6th, 2011, Google Plus reportedly wants to live stream the opening of the safe, and the Oprah Network producers will be filming it for a show called Found. The Oprah Network also will supply the lock smiths.

Is the Major brand safe a big find or was this a convenient way to dispose of it.

We will update you as soon as we know.

See the KCRA 3 report.

 

Latest Home Invasion Robbery News

August 30th, 2011

San Leandro Police in Search of Three Suspects from Home Invasion Robbery
San Leandro Police are on the lookout for three suspects involved in a San Leandro home invasion robbery that occurred Thursday, Aug. 25. By San Leandro Police Dept. — At around 8:30 pm, Thursday, Aug. 25, the San Leandro Police Communications Center
Read more on Patch.com

 

Altamonte Springs police investigate home-invasion robbery
By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel Altamonte Springs police are investigating a home invasion in which two men forced their way into an apartment this morning and stole a flat-screen television, they said. At least one of the men, armed with a handgun
Read more on Orlando Sentinel

 

Man sentenced to prison for home invasion robbery
Police found it anyway, and on Monday, Daughtry pleaded guilty to stealing the drugs and other items during a home-invasion robbery in Perry Township. Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank Forchione sentenced Daughtry, 18, of 3036 37th St. NW,
Read more on Canton Repository

You can hide your valuables in plain sight with Diversion Safes. To learn more, check out our information on our page what are diversion safes.

 

What Self Defense Weapons Are Legal?

August 29th, 2011

There’s nothing at all worse than being somewhere, or in a position where you fear a lack of safety or self defense.  To help with that feeling, many choose to purchase a self defense weapon, such as a stun gun, Taser, or pepper spray. But how can you know if that self defense weapon is legal to possess?

The General public normally does not know the legal guidelines in their personal state, or city, regarding the possession of self defense weapons. With so many laws on the books, even police officers have to be updated yearly to new and changed laws! Depending where you live, the possession of some weapons can be a violation that could result in  jail time! So how do you know what is and is not legal?

The easy solution to this question is to phone your neighborhood police department. But some people will not want to “bother” the police with  questions.

At ForSecuritySake.com, you can find  two selections regarding Stun gun laws and pepper spray laws. While these pages have useful information, they will not tell you the complete tale.

The other day, a gentleman contacted us via our contact us form from ForSecuritySake.com. He wanted to know if he could purchase a steel baton for protection and carry it in his car.  He lives in California and wanted to know if the metal baton was legal. Under California law, it is illegal to carry a baton or club for protection in a car. In California, even a baseball bat is illegal to carry in a car, if it is carried for the purpose of protection. We were able to provide him information on our Stun Guns, Taser, and pepper spray, that he could carry instead.

So if you have a question on the legality of a self defense weapon, use our Contact Us Form.

By walking down the street, you don’t know which person is a bad guy, but that shouldn’t make you fear for your safety.  You can purchase top quality self defense products for individual protection. You just need to know what is legal for the area you live in and know never to use the weapon for offense. Check out our website for all your self defense needs.

ForSecuritySake.com was founded by a retired police sergeant with over 40 years of experience. He dedicated this site to continue his mission as a Police Professional: To supply information and products to help you and your family be safer and more secure in your daily lives.

Be safe out there.