By Cam Lucadou-Wells
BURGLARS must have got a rude shock when they were greeted by screaming alarms after breaking into a Hallam security company several weeks ago.
Recorded on high-resolution CCTV, the group had arrived at Eclipse Security in a stolen white Toyota Kluger about 4.30am and jemmied the front door with a large crowbar.
Within minutes, the burglars fled from the caterwauling alarms with a few items of little value from the showroom.
Greg Flood, owner of Eclipse Security, was alerted via an i-Pad push-notification.
Within five minutes, via an app, he was reviewing CCTV footage and sending images of the Kluger’s number plates to Narre Warren police.
Unfortunately, for the sake of identification, the plates and vehicle were stolen and the intruders were shrouded by hoodies.
The burglars had presumably been unaware of the nature of his business, which specialises in alarms, smoke machines, CCTV and other criminal deterrents, Mr Flood said.
“It’s not like we have got things they can sell down the pub like phones or power tools.”
In recent months – during a much publicised spate of home invasions in Casey – Eclipse Security has had a 20 per cent boom in customers.
A nearby factory had been broken into twice in the past month. Eclipse had recorded footage of the offenders as it passed its business on both occasions – as well as catching large-scale litterers dumping in a nearby reserve on Centre Road.
“Even people in commercial premises are becoming more focused on getting their security up to scratch.
“Your run-in-the-mill methods are not going to deter people like the Apex Gang.”
Mr Flood said the first step was to get a high-tech CCTV and alarm system, and put up signs to tell would-be intruders that the premises are secured.
Police wouldn’t attend alarm activations unless they were verified, Mr Flood said.
New alarm systems sent real-time images of break-ins to the owner’s smartphone and can provide that proof to police.
Loud alarms are the “second line of defence”, forcing burglars to flee before too much damage is done.
Smoke machines can also deter intruders from ransacking a premises such as a pharmacy or a 24-hour servo.
“Normally a burglar can fill up their backpack and be out of there within minutes. But you can’t steal what you can’t see.”
CCTV was now routinely high-definition. Eclipse’s standard is Blu-Ray quality, Mr Flood said.
Mr Flood says Casey is relatively quiet for crime compared to other parts of the world such as South Africa.
It was the rise of violent offences such as armed home invasions and the rising numbers of illegally held guns on the streets that was startling.
