However, these days it’s becoming a lot more common for people to install a CCTV security system at home. This is because people are determined to protect their family and property from theft and vandalism.

They can be a brilliant addition to your home security. If you’re not convinced, here are some of the main benefits of installing CCTV cameras at home.

They Deter Crime

By installing a CCTV security system outside your home, you will be deterring crime and stopping people from breaking into your home. Just the sight of cameras installed outside a property is often enough to make thieves think twice about breaking in – it poses too much of a risk for them. No criminal wants to be identified or caught breaking into a property, something that is a really possibility when there is CCTV cameras involved.

They Allow You to See Hidden Areas of Your Property

For people who live in large properties or properties with a lot of hidden areas, it can often be impossible to keep an eye on everything. A CCTV security system gives you the opportunity to observe areas of your land that you can’t always see too well. It also allows you to see the front of your home without having to open the door. If there is any suspicious activity happening around your house, you’ll be able to observe on the camera and take appropriate action.

They Make You Feel Safer

A lot of people who have CCTV cameras installed in their home have said that it makes them feel a lot safer. This is especially true for the people who live on their own. It gives homeowners peace of mind that their property is being protected – whether home or away. If you’re heading on holiday, you don’t need to worry about your home being targeted when empty. For people with young families, a CCTV system gives them added protection that allows them to know their children are safe and secure.

They Are Not Just For Security

Whilst CCTV and security cameras are mostly used externally for security, to protect your home against theft, they can also be used inside your home for safety reasons. Do you have elderly parents living with you, or children who are home alone at certain parts of the day? You can’t be in the same place 24/7, but by installing security systems in your home, you can keep a close eye on your loved ones. Looking to install security cameras in your home? We can help!

AFS Security Systems are a reliable and professional locksmith in East London and the surrounding areas. Providing high quality and up-to-date security systems, our team of security experts can help you successfully protect your residential, commercial or industrial property.

If you would like to speak to us about securing your premises, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can give us a call on 0208 471 9000 and we will be happy to give you more information on our services. 

Having the locks changed in your home is important, so why do people rarely do it? It’s a really good way to keep your home safe and stop people from entering your home without permission.

There are many times in which your safety would benefit from changing the locks – here are just some of the situations in which it should be considered.

Recently Moved Into a New Home

If you’ve recently moved into a new home (or you have the keys to your new home already), we suggest hiring a professional locksmith to come and change your locks. In fact, we would definitely make this a priority. You don’t know who the previous homeowners have given a key to – it’s much safer to change them. You’ll have peace of mind that you (and whoever you give them to) are the only ones with access. If you’re in rented accommodation, it might be worth asking your landlord for their thoughts on changing the locks before you move in.

Lost Your Keys

We’ve all been there! Losing keys is both frustrating and a huge pain – it means you often have to go get another set made ASAP. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a spare key that doesn’t mean you’ll be stranded outside your own home. This is where a lot of homeowners go wrong – they replace the keys instead of replacing the locks. How do you know who has picked up your keys? What if they were stolen on purpose? Don’t wait until it’s too late, you should get the locks changed right away.

Relationship Has Ended

Have you recently got out of a relationship with someone who you lived with? Did you previously give a key to someone who you no longer speak to? This is the perfect opportunity to change your locks. Whether it’s the breakdown of a romantic relationship or a friendship, you probably don’t want this person to have easy access to your home. It’s definitely recommended for those times where things didn’t quite end mutually – don’t risk something getting stolen or someone getting hurt.

If you want to hire a professional locksmith in east London to change your locks, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at AFS Security.

You can give us a call on 0208 471 9000 and a member of our team will be happy to help you with all your security needs. 

As an experienced locksmith in Kent, we are experts when it comes to security. We know the importance of having high quality security measures in place, which is why it’s alarming that so many robberies and break outs take place.

Whilst we find all the stories fascinating, we love hearing positive stories about security. This is why we have put together a list of some of the most highly secured prisons in the world. The security in these locations is so tight, that even the most cunning criminal would fail to break out.

Qincheng Prison (China)

Built in the 1950s, Qincheng Prison is a maximum security prison that is located in China, and is considered one of most secure prisons in the world. Apart from the fact that it has around 5,000 security guards working around the clock, it also has one of the highest watchtowers in the world – nothing is getting past that.

As well as being manned by thousands of security personnel, it’s also situated several thousand feet above sea level. So even if someone managed to escape the prison, they would be faced with a lot of treacherous valleys.

Camp Delta (Cuba)

Although Camp Delta is located in Guantanamo Bay, it actually belongs to the USA. It was originally used to house war criminals, especially terrorists during the fight against Al Qaeda.

It’s split into a number of different camps, which are all used for a different reason. The different camps also have their own level of security, with Camp 3 being maximum security. Camp 7 was until recently a secret part of the prison, in which only the very worst criminals were kept. No one was allowed to know where they were – not family or lawyers!

Camp Delta has 12 prison guards in charge of just one prisoner – making it extremely impossible for them to do anything wrong. It’s also surrounded by an American military base, so it’s probably not worth them trying to break out.

ADX Florence (USA)

Considered as being the most secure prison in the whole world, ADX Florence is a maximum security prison that is located in Colorado, USA. The prisoners in this prison are kept in their cells for the whole day – 23 hours to be exact. They are allowed 5 hours of private recreation a week, in which they are escorted by no less than 4 prison officers.

For the first three years that the prisoner is in there, they are not allowed to have any contact with anyone else. Over time, they might be granted time outside their cell.

Everything in the cells is made out of concrete, as well as steel mirrors that are bolted to the wall and lights that are shut off remotely. The prison has an extensive amount of motion detectors and camereas, as well as 1,400 remote controlled steel doors. It’s surrounded by razor wire fences and laser beams, and if someone does manage to get past these, they will come into contact with attack dogs that guard the area 24/7.

We hope you found this as interesting as us! Keep checking back for even more information on these high security prisons!

We can’t promise attack dogs, but we can help you make your property nice and secure. Just contact us on 0208 471 9000 and a member of our team will be happy to answer any questions you have. 

Here at AFS Security Systems, our number one priority is keeping you and your property safe. That’s why we are fascinated and intrigued by the locations that are considered to be the most secure places in the whole world.

Here is our guide to some of these intriguing places. 

Fort Knox

Fort Knox is home to the US Bullion Depository. This is where thousands of tons of gold is stored, along with a host of important historical documents – including the Declaration of Independence.

It is based in Kentucky, and is surrounded by a military camp. However, this isn’t where the security measures end. If you managed to somehow get past the military, you would then be faced with blast-proof doors complete with electronic security locks.

Past this door? A massive 250 ton vault door. Good luck!

Area 51

Area 51 is a mysterious US Air Force base that is located somewhere in the Nevada desert. It is so heavily guarded that flying over it isn’t even possible. In fact, it’s not included on any map and, for most people, finding it would be practically impossible.

Only specific authorised personnel are permitted to enter, and no one is allowed to talk about what actually happens within.

A lot of people think that it plays host to anything to do with UFOs and aliens.

Federal Reserve Bank in New York

This bank is considered as housing around 25% of the world’s gold. Therefore, it isn’t a surprise that it is one of the most secure places in the world.

The vault that holds the gold is located eighty feet below street level and fifty feet below sea level.  The gold also has the extra protection of being locked behind a 90 ton steel door.

For those who attempt to raid the place? There are armed officers surrounding the perimeter at all times.

The Mormon Church’s Secret Vaults

The Mormon Church’s vault is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.

What makes this a secure location? Well, it was built 600-feet into the side of a giant rock. It was also constructed to withstand any kind of nuclear blast, and even has steel doors which are designed to seal tighter if they are impacted.

The vaults are rumoured to be protected by both tempered climate control, and motion and heat sensors.

What makes it even more of a mystery? It’s close to impossible to get photos of the vaults. In fact, a rare image surfaced in 1962 and there has been nothing since. 

Whilst we can’t promise security solutions as extreme as the ones in place above, we pledge to give it our very best shot.

Here at AFS Security, our ultimate priority is to keep you safe by making sure that your home or office has the finest security equipment possible. If you are looking to ‘Fort Knox’ your property, and need a locksmith in East London, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can ring us on 0208 471 9000 and a member of our staff will be happy to help.

Last month, we announced that we would be running a series that looked at some of the most extraordinary robberies that have ever taken place. In part one, we told you all about the Knightsbridge Security Deposit Robbery, where over 60 million was stolen from a safe deposit centre in London.

This time, we have turned our attention to a robbery that took place in February 2006 at a cash management depot in Kent, England.

The Securitas Depot Robbery is known as the largest cash robbery in British history, with the thieves stealing around £53,116,760 in bank notes (belonging to the Bank of England).

How It Began

The robbery started on the evening of February 21^st, when the manager of the depot was abducted whilst out driving in his car.

Colin Dixon was driving home from work at about 6pm when he was signalled to pull over by what seemed to be an unmarked police car. Following the rules, Dixon pulled over and waited for a man who was dressed as a police officer to approach him. He was then told to get in the back of their car, and still believing that the man was with the police, he did as he was told. Once he was inside the car, he was handcuffed and threatened at gun point.

Dixon feared for his life as he was driven westwards down the M20 motorway and transferred into a white van.

Meanwhile, at his home, his wife and young son had also been taken hostage and were being held at gunpoint. The family were eventually taken to the same place, where Dixon was told that any failure in assisting with their robbery would end with his family getting severely hurt.

The Robbery

The Dixon family were driven to the depot with seven armed men, who were in possession of a whole host of guns, including handguns, shotguns and Ak-47s.

They, along with the staff who were working in the depot, were bound by the robbers whilst the robbery was carried out.

It took around an hour and 45 minutes to clear a massive chunk of the depot, before they locked their hostages in cash cages and made a getaway with the £54m of bank notes.

Luckily, a member of the staff still had a key on their person, and they were able to free everyone else from the cages once they were certain that they were safe.

Arrests

The officers in charge of investigating The Securitas Depot Robbery made their first arrest only days later. It didn’t take much longer to connect the robbery to more people, and by Saturday 25^th February, two more people had been arrested.

A long investigation followed with even more arrests, but the results satisfied those who were kidnapped during the heist. Six men were put before the courts, and between them they got sentenced to a total of 156 years in prison.

Months after the trial, a man who had fled to Morocco shortly after the robbery was jailed for ten years, which was later extended to 25 years.

Lee Murray escaped to North Africa days after the heist and claimed nationality, due to his father being Moroccan. He had previously been able to avoid extradition to the UK during the other trials, so it was a huge relief when he was finally prosecuted for his part in the robbery.

Whilst we enjoy reading about these crazy robberies of the past, it isn’t something we want to hear about happening to any of our readers. Here at AFS Security, our ultimate priority is to keep you safe by making sure that your home or office has the best security equipment possible. If you want to improve your property’s safety and are looking for a locksmith in Kent or the surrounding areas, please contact us today by calling 0208 471 9000 to speak to a member of our team.