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Technology boosts security

For a long time, residential estates have been regarded with reverence as the final bastions when it comes to domestic security, the rationale being that safety exists in numbers and that the relative density and proximity of neighbours reduce the likelihood of intrusion.

But the estate has since plunged rather ungracefully from its pedestal thanks to the rising number of crimes targeting inhabitants. Nowadays, it’s far from anomalous for stories of estate capers to appear in newspapers and on social media.

To deal with the deluge of crime, those charged with ensuring the security of residents have been turning to technology in an attempt to stem the tide.

In 2014, Centurion released the SupaHelix, an access control and monitoring system for controlling access to high-volume residential estates. SupaHelix was originally envisaged to be a standard, albeit highly advanced, multi-user remote control receiver for use in high-volume residential sites, such as complexes and estates. However, it was decided that SupaHelix would be a complete access control and monitoring system and a veritable tenant administration toolkit.

2016 promises to be an exciting year for estate security, with Centurion recently announcing that the SECTOR II – the next generation of the company’s high-volume traffic barrier – will be released later this year. The SECTOR II will feature an improved mechanical design that has the electronics assembly at the top of the enclosure for easy access, optimised cable routing, an updated look, increased torsional strength and the same high-volume capability (in excess of 3 000 operations per day and including reliable battery backup) of the SECTOR I.

Additional security tips that will benefit estate management include:

• Insisting that the installer provides adequate anti-lift brackets to prevent the gate from being removed and the rack disengaging from the pinion.

• Ensuring that the installer strengthens the mounting of the rack adjacent the pinion, so that the rack cannot be bent up and away from the pinion, thus losing its locking engagement.

• Ensuring that the front catch bracket is sturdy enough to prevent would-be intruders from pushing the gate over.

• Insisting on a fast gate motor.

• Ensuring that infrared beams have been fitted and used to activate an alarm.

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