HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS IN CALIFORNIA
Investing in protection for your assets will always provide a good return. And the return on this investment is likely to grow due to rising property crime rates as reported by the Public Policy Institute of California. After a two-decade decline property crime, California has seen a 6.6% increase from January 2015 to June 2016. Now is the time to invest in a Montavue 4K Security system with 8MP or 4MP IP cameras before the crime market rises and your assets become even more vulnerable.
WHAT IS PROPERTY CRIME?
Property Crime can be generally defined as the act of theft or destruction of property for personal gain or enjoyment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program includes the following offenses in their definition for Property crime. “property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victims. The property crime category includes arson because the offense involves the destruction of property; however, arson victims may be subjected to force. Because of limited participation and varying collection procedures by local law enforcement agencies, only limited data are available for arson.” (1)
WHAT ARE PORCH PIRATES?
Strangely enough, a rising form of property crime is the theft of packages. In fact, it is so prevalent that these thieves are referred to as Porch Pirates. Furthermore, A recent report released by insurancequotes.com reveals that 23 million Americans have had packages stolen. Due to sites like Amazon offering two-day shipping having packages delivered has become very convenient. This also makes it convenient for criminals if you have nothing there to deter them from simply picking up a package off of your porch. Installing a home security system from Montavue is one of the best ways to deter this kind of activity. However, this does not always stop more brazen thieves. So you will want to make sure that you get high-quality 4MP IP Cameras and a 4K NVR capable of clearly identifying a criminal. In an article by USA today Oakland CHP Officer Sean Wilkenfeld stated that security cameras, “are only useful if they are high enough quality to see a face and a big advantage is to have one on the corner of your house pointed towards the street for license plates. License plates are a great lead for any department.”
” 535,892 reported cases of property crime in California”
As seen in the chart below the 2015 property crime rate of 2,620 per 100,000 residents is up 6.6% from the 50 -year low of 2,459 in 2014. The 2016 Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report lists 535,892 reported cases of property crime in California. Of course, crime rates vary widely by region with Los Angeles, Modesto and San Francisco having the highest amount of reports. Of all the reported crimes in California in 2015 64% were larceny-thefts, 19% were burglaries and 17% were auto thefts. Considering that the property crime rate continues to climb your chances of being a victim of burglary also increase. However, thanks to new advances in home security technology fewer criminals will get away with these crimes. In fact, Montavue’s 4K home security system with 8MP and 4MP IP cameras produce such clear images that criminals can clearly be identified. Similarly, advances in color night optics and infrared night vision enable you to catch intruders in complete darkness. Furthermore, the advent of intelligent video surveillance allows you to be automatically notified with an intruder is detected. Combine this with a mobile viewing app like MontavueGO and you can catch burglars before they have a chance to escape with your property.
WHY THE SUDDEN INCREASE?
There are many factors that play into the increase in property-related crime. The recent recession raised the poverty rate to a 15 year high in 2010. A sudden plunge into poverty can lead some people to resort to crime to get by. Drug addiction can also be a large factor. According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control Illicit drug use in the United States has grown from 8.3% in 2002 to 10.2% in 2014. It is well known that many people addicted to illicit drugs turn to crime to pay for their expensive habit. However many people blame Proposition 47 for the sudden increase of crime in California.
WHAT IS PROPOSITION 47
Proposition 47 is a ballot initiative that was passed by voters in California in 2014. The measures stated purpose is to reduce prison overcrowding by reducing sentencing severity for certain crimes. The measure requires misdemeanor sentencing for crimes such as petty theft and receiving stolen property. It also reduces certain drug possession felonies to misdemeanors. The measure also allows people currently serving sentences for these crimes to petition the court for re-sentencing. However, not all offenders have this option. The measure states that any person with previous convictions of a serious or violent crime punishable by a life sentence or death is not eligible to petition for resentencing. Also, any inmate required to register as a sex offender would not be eligible.
REDUCTION IN PRISON POPULATION
Proposition 47 has certainly delivered on its promise to reduce overcrowding. Prison populations in California began to fall immediately after the proposition was passed. The combination of re-sentencing for previous convictions and more importantly the drastic reduction in new bookings contributed to this sudden reduction. The Public Policy Institute of California reported a 9% decline in the jail population in the year following the proposition’s passage. Furthermore, you can see the stark contrast of bookings for drug possession and theft which in some cases dropped 75%. While this may seem like good news, ultimately it means that more criminals are remaining on the street. Arguably this can be linked to an increase in property crime. In any case, the benefits of installing a surveillance system from Montavue with 8MP bullet and dome cameras and 4MP bullet, dome, or turret cameras will help reduce the threats and help you catch suspects.
HOME SECURITY TRENDS IN THE U.S.
- A burglary occurs every 13 seconds in the United States.(4)
- Over 5,400 burglaries happen every day in the United States.(5)
- More than 2.5 million home intrusions are reported every year in the United States. (4)
- 74% of all burglaries reported in 2013 were on residential property.(5)
- Criminals target renters and homeowners at similar rates (4)
- 85% of police officials surveyed believed that home monitoring systems help deter burglary attempts.(4)
- Homes without security or alarm systems are up to 300% more likely to be broken into. (4)
- Some insurance providers offer discounts up to 20% when a home security system is installed. (4)
With the increase in package thefts and the reduction in penalties for such crimes now is the time to invest in a home security system. An investment in your security now could prevent a major loss down the road. Having high-quality surveillance cameras and a high quality NVR, like Montavue’s 4K resolution series, to monitor your property will ensure that your valuables, as well as your loved ones, are protected. Montavue can provide you with a great selection of professional grade 4K NVR’s and 8MP or 4MP IP cameras to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones. Our systems are easy to install and include a 2-year warranty.
