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A smart solution to home invasion

It was only after I gained a deeper understanding of the scale and severity of home invasions in South Africa that I realised the Cloudview visual network system could be a vital aid in protecting the most priceless of all possessions – life itself.

Many security professionals in South Africa will probably have read the study by Professor Rudolph Zinn, senior lecturer in Forensic and Crime investigation at the University of South Africa titled, 'Understanding and Preventing Home Invasion in South Africa (May 2010)'. This comprehensive report analysing the motives and techniques of home invaders in South Africa certainly made sobering reading for me.

In many societies there is a preconception that the fear of crime is actually worse than the reality, but this is not the case in South Africa. Here, the fear is justified and has fuelled the rapid growth of private security companies. By 2012 there were 9364 registered security companies in South Africa – an increase of nearly 2000 since 2010.

What struck me about the findings from the report and the South African government’s own crime statistics was that home invasions were not just limited to isolated properties. Residential robbery was the crime of choice because offenders had high expectations of significant returns yet low expectations of getting caught.

I was stunned that only 25% of the home invaders in the research said that they chose a house because it had low security. Instead, targets were chosen because the perpetrators had information – often from an inside source – that there would be rich pickings there. If they thought there was enough to gain from an invasion, nothing would stop them making the attempt. That meant even in so-called secure, gated communities, householders were at risk.

Worse still, perpetrators were more than willing to use extreme violence including rape, torture and murder to achieve their aims. 97% of the perpetrators in this study used firearms when they committed robberies.

Prevention is better than a cure

So, how can these types of attack be prevented? It would be irresponsible to say there is a single magic solution. Instead there has to be a co-ordinated, integrated and efficient response involving physical obstacles, technology and feet on the ground.

The most frequent deterrents mentioned by offenders included small, yappy dogs, razor wire and electric fences, security systems and panic buttons. However, the overall conclusion was that the best form of prevention – and what most deterred home invaders was a secure perimeter and an internal security system.

This is because once the offenders had managed to get close to a house, the element of surprise left residents with fewer options to defend themselves. However, if the residents were alerted to a person scaling a wall or fence, they would have time to lock doors and raise the alarm.

This is where the advantages of the Cloudview visual network system immediately becomes obvious – both for security firms and householders working independently or together.

The system was initially developed in response to the need for companies to effectively protect their physical assets, especially when they were situated in remote locations. This needed a fast, cost-effective and instantly accessible system that wasn’t limited by the drawbacks of traditional CCTV systems – namely cost, outdated and cumbersome analogue technology and the reliance on a manned control room to continually monitor footage.

The features that make Cloudview such a successful solution to these issues also make it an incredibly strong tool in the arsenal against home invasion. The key to the system is our Visual Network Adapter, which can quickly and easily connect either new digital IP cameras or existing CCTV cameras to the Internet without taking up excessive bandwidth. In fact it operates efficiently using regular broadband, 3G or satellite services.

Our Internet enabled system transforms both new and existing analogue or digital camera systems so you’re the first to know when a critical incident is happening. Cameras can be triggered by specific events, such as movement or trespass, and live CCTV feeds can be accessed via smartphone, tablet or PC – with alerts via text or calls bringing threats to the attention of interested parties instantly.

This greatly increases response and preparation times, allowing security teams to get to properties faster and for householders to take measures to protect themselves. At a later date when the immediate threat has passed the stored footage can be accessed as evidence to ensure convictions.

Our cloud based management system and easy to use dashboard gives users full security, flexibility and control, via protected accounts, so each specified user (or household) can set parameters, alerts and have instant access to the fully encrypted visual data relating to them.

Interest in the Cloudview visual network system has been growing around the world in countries where great disparities in wealth can lead to even greater violence. Home security companies can see the benefits in terms of giving added value and peace of mind to their customers, increasing the effectiveness of their services and managing costs.

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