Smart Security Finally The Answer to SA Crime

Tourists to South Africa cannot help but comment on the high walls, menacing barbed wire and electric fences which surround homes and businesses everywhere you look. Stringent security measures have become as synonymous with our nation as Table Mountain is with the fair Cape. And for good reason, as reports of armed robberies and unthinkable violence plaster news reports on a daily basis.

In the last few decades, fear of crime has lead to the rapid growth of one of the largest and most thriving security industries in the world and it is estimated that more than R140 billion is spent on crime prevention each year. Despite this, South Africans are still being robbed and murdered in their homes. It begs the question – is the current, conventional approach working? Let’s look at some of the most common security measures and their flaws.

Burglar Alarms

This traditional security system can be seen as a crime deterrent but is only effective when the owner remembers to arm the system.

• Research has shown that many home attacks occur between 7-12pm when the family is at home, the alarm is disabled and the noise from TV’s cover the sound of a surprise attack.
• Another problem is the likelihood of false alarms which are extremely common. This can be both annoying and a waste of time for security companies who have to follow up and often arrive to find the alarm was set it off accidently or due to an error with the system.
• In an effort to avoid incessant false alarms, owners may choose to set the motion sensors to exclude areas so that their pets do not set off the alarm. This gives criminals a few feet of crawling space to use without being detected.
• Slick and professional burglars are well aware that there is a 30-40 second delay before the alarm triggers which is long enough for them to grab what they are after and be on their way.
• Regardless of the type of burglar alarm installed, it can be tampered with or disconnected, giving burglars free reign of your home.
• Alarm systems are expensive to install and maintain which is a hefty price to pay for a system that is inadequate to protect you!

Security Guards

Our South African private security guards vastly outnumber the army and can be seen posted at complex entrances and business park gates in an effort to monitor who comes and goes. Human labour is expensive and ineffective at preventing crime. Here’s why:

• Security patrols around a home or business complex are usually scheduled and follow a set route which is easily avoided by criminals in the know.
• Human error and falling asleep on the job is all too common and criminals easily slip past unawares.
• Security guards are generally unarmed and ill-equipped to handle an attack. They are unlikely to put their lives on the line when heavily armed perpetrators threaten them at gunpoint.
• Recent cases have shown rampant drug use by security staff and control room operators and many security companies are facing cases against them.
• Criminals usually choose their targets based on inside information and security guards are often easily bribed and may even be involved in criminal activity, meaning the very people hired to keep you safe are putting you at risk!

Conventional Surveillance Cameras

CCTV security cameras posted at entrances and strategic points of entry are there to record activity which may be useful for later viewing after crime has actually happened. However, this type of conventional, outdated security camera system is unable to stop crime from occurring.

• Night and day, a wall of camera screens has to be tracked and studied by the human eye for indications of criminal activity and the vast majority of important activity is missed, even if security staff are well-rested and alert!
• On the occasion when an illegal activity is picked up, it is often too late and the criminals have already had ample time to achieve their goals and are long gone.
• On-site CCTV monitoring can easily be tampered with and footage stolen or deleted.

Smart Security by Myertal

It is clear that a more effective system is needed to that actually keeps South Africans safe. One that stops criminals BEFORE they do any damage and sees suspects arrested and taken off the streets. Myertal’s smart surveillance system is different. It does not rely on alarms to go off or humans to be on the constant look out for criminal activity. Myertal uses ground-breaking smart detection technology that is the first of its kind in South Africa:

• CCTV cameras connected to Myertal’s secure off-site control room monitor the perimeter and access points.
• A sophisticated intelligent program self-learns about the environment and tracks the normal daily movements around the area.
• Any unusual activity is automatically picked up by the system and staff are alerted to send help immediately. This means that when criminals attempt a break-in, law enforcement is dispatched within seconds and the culprits are caught before a crime even happens. Now that’s REAL security!

Don’t waste your money on flawed, ineffective security! Get Myertal for your home and/or business today.