Due to the proximity of suburban residences to the highest-crime centers in Canada where break-ins and vandalism are common, there is a need for home improvement in the area of security. Video surveillance cameras can serve as a deterrent.

The large populations of Toronto and Vancouver ensure that statistics report a steady number of attempts to liberate people’s belongings by coming through the window when they’re not home. Not all break-and-enter artists wearing a discreet face covering will escape the watchful eyes of the CCTV system of security cameras and the alarm systems that can notify police of the intrusion. A home alarm in Vancouver can potentially deter a desperate heroin addict who’s just smashed a window with a sock around a rock but was scared away by a loud alarm or camera-shy when the cameras are set up so as to be obvious to trespassers.

The west coast and its mild weather attract more people who have moved from somewhere and many are younger males who have developed drug habits or some other need for fast money in a strange city. Vancouver’s wealthier districts are hotspots for break-and-enter cases and assaults are common everywhere. Vancouver and Toronto both have the seedy types of street toughs that sometimes engage in theft, vandalism, and violence. In recent years Vancouver has far exceeded Toronto in the percentage of incidents of violence. Some of the attacks on citizens have nothing to do with money, only resentment and a desire to make others suffer. Decade after decade however, the large number of drug addicts and alcoholics in Vancouver has been legendary, and the word is out that you should think twice about moving back there when it’s mentioned to any Canadian.

Street heroin addicts need a certain amount of money every day to prevent painful withdrawal so they develop survival skills related to stealing at every opportunity and selling the goods somewhere to feed the habit. They may steal laundry and other items they can sell in bulk. The more skilled ones will venture to affluent areas like Mount Pleasant, Grandview Woodlands, the West End, or the Financial District in search of jewelry, cash, and electronics – anything that can be taken away and sold to a fence. The thief makes only a small percentage of the value of the goods relative to the risk involved. Break-and-entering charges results in less jail time than violent crimes. Most street junkies will attempt, and possibly get proficient in shoplifting right under the noses of security cameras. If they are professionals they can get out of the store before the security breach is noticed and someone can react.

There is also a factor of violence, even things occurring to a victim by mistaken identity. While property crime in Canada has declined, assaults and homicides have gone up considerably. To those who can afford it, security surveillance systems can provide some peace of mind.

Theft in general is the third largest crime category. In 2006 crimes of break-and-enter, auto theft, and robbery were down 5% and this may be caused by increased security. A comparison of theft and break-in numbers between Vancouver and Toronto however, is like night and day. That year Toronto had 388 break-ins and is many times larger than Vancouver. The number of break-and-enter cases in Vancouver was an astounding 1,192 – four times as many in number but Vancouver’s population is 578,000 while Toronto holds over 2,503,000 souls, making the differential a factor of 20 times more of these crimes – a very poor indictment on the social situation in Vancouver.

Theft and violence always accompany a depressed economy so it is no surprise that in the global meltdown engineered by the Bush regime the young unemployed masses either have to join the military or starve. Older people without a future often resort to violence, whether random or direct and still others have some skill in breaking and entering to steal enough to survive. This article examines security measures that can be taken to protect life and property.

There’s a great deal of comfort knowing who is at the door when you are at home alone and relaxed. When the doorbell rings most people are startled and the adrenalin suddenly kicks into action. Many people, especially women are vulnerable to attack – often from an ex-spouse or jilted boyfriend looking for trouble. A home intercom system not only gives the resident a sense of security from outside intrusions, but some can be used to monitor inside rooms to keep track of children or seriously ill family members who may need emergency assistance.

Two types of intercom systems are available for home use: wired and unwired. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks so we’ll compare the two in relation to the uses and budgets involved. Price is a major consideration so most people choose the wireless setup since doing the wiring installation is quite expensive. If money is available when a new home is being built, a wired system would be a good idea to add a value feature to the house for resale in the future.

In general the wireless intercom is becoming the more popular of the two. However, some wireless systems can pick up interference if your neighbor also uses a wireless intercom system. There may also be areas of the house where the signal can’t get through, causing black spots in rooms where you want to hear your children at all times. Placing intercom stations around the house allows you to operate from a central station and communicate with family members when you want to call them to the kitchen for a meal or tell them to stop making so much noise. You can pipe music through the system to reach the other rooms or even the patio if that suits your lifestyle; some units offer a CD or radio feature. More and more we can set up our living environment for comfort as well as functionality. The main use of course is to prevent unwanted entry to the home by thieves or deranged attackers. It’s also possible to add an automatic gate entry function to your intercom system. They will work on most types of gates such as sliding gates, swing gates, single or double gates, allowing you to open your gate by pushing a single button – knowing that it will lock on its own.

Prices for home intercom systems go from $1,200 to over $5,000 depending on the features, quality of speakers, brand name, and the number of rooms to be monitored. Adding CCTV surveillance cameras is always a good idea for people with a lot of valuables in the home. It should also be considered for people who have had numerous arguments with ex-spouses or co-workers over an extended period of time. This also applies to chronic neighborhood arguments that fester over a number of years and have the potential for violence or vandalism. It seems that homeowners always have a crazy neighbor threatening them.

Obviously not everyone will encounter violence or break-ins…it’s largely a numbers game. The area could be peaceful and crime-free for years but suddenly the newspapers might report that a rapist has struck and victimized a woman by entering the home. It may not happen – but it has happened to someone on a regular basis. The social turmoil created on purpose to destabilize the country, in the form of the “recession” can put people in a position where they have nothing left to lose after job loss, foreclosure, divorce, and alcoholism cause a person to spiral down to the level of panicked survival where their actions can become very different than the formerly whole person. When this happens someone becomes a target so by creating these conditions, the security industry thrives.