Some people believe that crime can be tied to a person’s zodiac or astrological sign.

For fun, law enforcement officers in Canada crunched the data on which zodiac signs had the most arrests.  Here is the top five:

1. Aries – March 21 to April 19
2. Libra – September 23 to October 22
3. Virgo – August 23 to September 22
4. Leo – July 23 to August 22
5. Pisces – February 19 to March 20

You can see the complete list of zodiac signs and their connection to crime here.

However, other “astrological experts” may disagree with this list.  Some say that Cancers (June 21 to July 22) are the most-booked criminals.

Astrological sites such as AstroStar.com and other sites claim Cancers are the most dangerous.  They say this is according to the FBI.  However, we could not find this information anywhere on the FBI website.

Other interesting information on AstroStar.com and other astrological sites includes:

• Taurus (April 20 to May 20) are sometimes involved in money laundering.  Surprisingly, Bernie Madoff, mastermind of the billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, was born on April 29.

• Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21) are sometimes involved in robberies.  Famous bank robber John Dillinger was not a Sagittarius.  However, bank robber George Baby Face Nelson was.  He was born on November 27.

• Capricorns (December 22 to January 19) supposedly get into organized crime.  Famous crime boss Al Capone was born on January 17.

So should you be worried about people born in March committing a crime at your home?

Probably not.  From the looks of it, just about every month has some sort of criminal activity in it.

If you want to protect your home, stop staring at the stars and call a professional like Hue & Cry Security Systems.

We can help you protect your home or business.  We’ve been helping businesses, homeowners and contractors in Northern California and Oregon for more than 25 years.  To get help today, call 1-800-762-3196 or visit www.HueAndCry.com.

Numerous reports are saying that the FCC is planning a new 911 system that will be able to accept the following from smartphones:

• Text Messages
• Pictures
• Video

The FCC report says these updates will significantly help first responders as well as those who may not be able to use voice communications.

There are no deadlines on when this service would be rolled out to the public.  At the moment, the FCC has created a framework for implementing the plan.  The plan looks at:

• How to build the framework for such a system
• Infrastructure requirements
• Who will oversee the system
• Funding for the system

Why It Is Needed

An overhaul of the 911 system is way overdue.  More and more people are cutting their traditional telephone lines in favor of standard cell phones and smartphones.

One survey showed phone landline ownership has plummeted as much as 50 percent in regions such as New York and New Jersey.  In California, it’s around a 21 percent decline.

With more and more people owning phones with capabilities such as text messaging and photo/video sharing, it makes sense to incorporate these features into a new 911 system.

This will significantly help law enforcement and emergency crews do their job better.

When It Will Launch

Based on the documents, it looks like it’s going to be awhile before a system gets off the ground.

However it is interesting to see how mobile and wireless technology is significantly changing the way we protect our homes and businesses.

Already, wireless technology is used in many security systems to help it communicate with the alarm monitoring center.

Additionally, cellular signals are being used in remote security cameras and other devices.

911 Calling Tips

With all this talk about 911, it’s important to remember the tips below when calling for an emergency.

1.     Stay Calm:  It’s important to say calm when talking with a 911 operator.  This will allow them to dispatch emergency responders faster.

 2.     Listen Closely:  It’s important to listen to the operator so you understand the questions that they are asking.

 3.     For Recordings: If you happen to get a recording saying all operators are busy, be sure to listen to the directions and take appropriate action.

 4.     Never Immediately Hang Up: Always wait to hang up until the dispatcher tells you it’s OK to hang up the phone.

Following these tips will help you stay calm when dialing 911.

We Want To Hear From You!

What do you think about the new 911 system proposal?  Leave your comments below or join the conversation on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Facebook Page.

Furthermore, the study showed a whopping 9 out of 10 law enforcement officials believe electronic security systems prevent or reduce property loss.

It is clear security experts recognize the value of electronic security systems.

The survey, 2011 Law Enforcement and Alarm Relationship Study, is published periodically by the two magazines mentioned above.

See the 2006 study results here.

See the 2003 study results here.

Find Out About Your Neighbors

The majority of your neighbors are probably good people. However, you should be aware if there are registered sex-offenders in your neighborhood, especially if you have children. You can find information about sex-offenders in your neighborhood through the U.S. Sex Offender’s Registry provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. On their website, you can find information about sex offenders in your area, links to other public registries, and education and prevention information. Being informed about sex offenders in your area can help keep you and your family safe from harm.

Crime in Your Neighborhood

Another excellent resource for finding out about crime in your neighborhood can be found by visiting CrimeReports.com. CrimeReports.com provides a variety of tools to help you find out about crime in your neighborhood. You can use their interactive map to check your area or simply provide a location in their search box.  Each search that you do will provide you with a map of your neighborhood with a listing of recent crimes, including their location and type. You can also check an analytics report of crime in your area and sign up for alerts about crime in your neighborhood.

No matter where you live, your family’s safety is always a top concern. Help keep your family safe by being aware of crime in your neighborhood.

Here are some of the most common myths:

People Only Sue Big Companies with Fraudulent Claims

We’ve all heard the stories about people suing McDonalds because their coffee is too hot, or someone claiming to have broken their neck in a major retail outlet when really they are completely fine. But what about smaller companies, are they ever really sued with fraudulent claims?

This myth makes the claim that people only sue large businesses because that’s where the money is at. Unfortunately, the reality is that small and mid-sized businesses are also regularly targeted with fraudulent claims. The worst part is that these businesses are much more vulnerable because they can’t afford expensive lawyers and a large settlement could put them out of business.

Shoplifting Only Happens In Low Income Areas

This is a common and completely untrue myth that claims that people in richer areas are much less likely to be stolen from than in poorer areas. Unfortunately, the facts show that expensive stores in fancy shopping malls are just as likely to be stricken by shoplifters as anywhere else. Additionally, since the products they sell are so much more valuable than in lower end stores, there is an added incentive to steal.

Vendors Keep Perfect Records and Are Completely Honest

Many people don’t ever consider vendors a potential source of shrinkage when looking at where they are losing money. For some reason, while businesses are quick to blame customers or even employees, the activities of the vendors are seen as beyond suspicion.

The truth is that vendor fraud is estimated to account for 5.2% of overall shrinkage. It’s important that you watch your vendors carefully to prevent theft.

People Only Steal Inventory and Cash

The reality is that there are a lot of ways that people can harm your business without actually taking something physical.

Without proper business security systems and camera surveillance systems, customers can make false injury claims, employees can “under ring” sales or not work when they should be, and vendors can make errors that hurt your bottom line. When tracking what your company is losing from theft, be sure that you can measure all of the damage, not just the physical loss.

Salvador Heredia-Arriaga
killing suspects arrested for
Natomas home invasion
shooting

 Jason Kobely   

 Last updated 1 day ago

SACRAMENTO, CA – Two people were arrested
Wednesday in connection with a deadly home
invasion robbery and shooting that killed an
assistant football coach at Natomas High School last
month, according to Sacramento police.

A 17-year-old and a 20-year-old were taken into
custody Wednesday for the killing that took the life
of Salvador Heredia-Arriaga on the 2600 block of
River Plaza Drive March 26, Sacramento police Sgt.
Norm Leong said.

Leong said the the older suspect was arrested in the
Bay Area, while the teen was apprehended in
Sacramento County Wednesday. More information
on the circumstances leading to the arrests were
expected to be released Thursday, Leong said.

Witnesses said Heredia-Arriaga, 26, showed up at
the River Plaza Drive apartment around 11:20 p.m.
to meet friends when he inadvertantly interrupted

the home invasion. Leong said the robbers shot
Heredia-Arriaga and fled the scene.

Heredia-Arriaga’s mother Susan Heredia said
Salvador, who graduated from Natomas High School
before attending UC Santa Cruz, was looking to a
career in education. Heredia-Arriaga tutored special
needs students and served as a JV football coach at
Natomas High before his death.

News10/KXTV

I am sad that this type of thing continues to happen in our communities.  My condolences go out to Salvador’s family.  As a citizen of California and a business owner in Sacramento County, I can not help but looking at the tragic situation as an object lesson and trying to use it to grow from.  What I see is that this might have been avoided or at least the effects might have been severely lessened if the victim would have had a basic, inexpensive, but yet very effective, Alarm System installed.  Some of these gross violations and crimes we see in the media all the time could be avoided if we could educate people on simple common sense security measures that would keep themselves or their loved ones out of harms way.

Let me know what you think,

Michael Culmer