While 9 month old Emily plays in a crib, her young, single mother gets ready to go to work. She recently hired a part-time nanny to watch after Emily during the day.
Her daughter was the happiest baby anyone had ever met. Always laughing and smiling, having fun and being a baby. But after a few weeks Emily’s disposition changed drastically. Her mother thought it may have been from a lack of naps and sat down with the nanny to emphasize the importance of a schedule.
Not wanting to take any chances, Emily’s mother purchased an Air Freshener with a hidden camera and digital video recorder built inside. It was very simple to use…she just plugged it in, chose to record only when motion was detected and hit record.
She returned home from work one afternoon to find Emily down for an afternoon nap. She almost felt guilty for sneaking around with the hidden camera.
After saying her goodbye’s to the nanny and settling in from her day of work she decided to review the video.
Much to her dismay, she saw that her daughter was left in a play pen in the living room for the first 4 hours while the nanny slept. After the nanny couldn’t sleep through baby Emily’s cries any longer the nanny would let her roam freely around the house. The mother’s anger is building and building.
A little further in to the recording, she watches as some friends of the nanny’s show up at the house. During this time, it seems the nanny locked little Emily in her room.
Still angry, of course, Emily’s mom continued to watch. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the nanny slap her child. The nanny would walk by Emily and kick her out of the way. She picked her up like a rag doll and tossed her onto the furniture.
Emily’s mom stopped the recording, grabbed the phone, and went to Emily. While dialing the police, she picked Emily up from the crib and noticed bruising on various parts of her body, including her face.
Thankfully, because of the nanny cam purchase, a trip to the emergency room, and a police report filed, Emily is alive and healthy today. A nanny is in jail.
Today I talked to a friend who works for a sports photography company in Florida. It’s a close knit group of people with a love for capturing the priceless moments in sports. Tonight, however, their pockets and arsenal of equipment are alot lighter.
Saturday started just like other. The vans were packed with cameras, lights, backdrops and tents. Several teams headed to photo shoots all over town. They set-up, they shot pictures, they broke down and went home.
It was a normal practice to leave everything in the van, hiding the camera bag and money box. They would unload everything next week. But someone beat ‘em to it.
They returned to find the van door had been pried open with a crow bar, the cameras were removed from the camera bag, lenses and flash along with $2000 cash was stolen from the van.
The thief or possibly thieves, entered the studio and went for the book keepers desk where they made off with more cash.
The owners know it was an inside job because the thieves left anything that was really important to the company. Things like storage cards that held hundreds of pictures, laptops that also stored several thousand pictures and other expensive electronics.
This is the biggest mistake of victims: creating opportunity. Too many people knew how and where equipment and cash was stored and access to these things was completely unrestricted.
It really hurt the owner and I don’t mean financially. He thought he could trust the people who work for him. He learned the hard way.
And now, after it’s too late, he is looking for ways to protect his business. I suggested things like the Motion Detector Hidden Camera with Built-In DVR, the AutoDialer which will call up to 5 phone numbers if motion is detected, a few Doorbraces, hidden safes for petty cash and even pepper spray for the employees while at work.
His total loss is somewhere around $5000.00. Wouldn’t you feel more at ease if your assets were protected?
Yesterday after my email, I received another great tip from a reader. If you use the suction cup attachment for a portable GPS system in your car, make sure you wipe off the mark it leaves on the window. Leaving the smudge lets people know you have a GPS system and could interest them enough to break in.
Today’s story also is related to vehicle safety. You may have been following the story of the three college girls who went missing while on a stargazing expedition in North Dakota.
They were discovered yesterday in ten feet of water hidden by tall grass at the bottom of a pond. Authorities say they probably drove straight into the pond because they were unfamiliar with the area and couldn’t see in the dark.
When I think about 10 feet of water, it doesn’t seem like much. But when a car is submerged the whole situation changes. It is important that you know exactly what to do should this ever happen. There is no room for error.
The moment you enter the water your mind is racing and you panic as you reach for the seat belt. The car will begin to sink and tilt vertically because of the weight of the engine. Water will begin to rush in. The most important thing to do is NOT follow the bubbles. Air is escaping through the trunk because the car is sinking head first and will likely turn upside down.
1. Immediately open a window if you can. If you cannot get a window down, because anything could happen, you should have an Emergency Hammer in your car. This tool has 2 very sharp hammers that will break a window or windshield instantly. It is important to keep this tool in a very accessible place.
2. After the window is opened or broken, unbuckle your seat belt. If you do this before opening a window, you will likely be swept to the back of the vehicle with the current of the water. If the seat belt is jammed, you can also use the Emergency Hammer to cut it.
3. Prepare any passengers as the vehicle is sinking. Get out and swim to the surface. The longer you stay in the submerged vehicle, the lower your chances for survival.
Remember to break a window first! Create an escape path immediately. If you don’t, you will have to wait until the car is almost fully submerged and pressure has equaled out. Then try lowering the window, breaking it with your seat belt or brace yourself for kicking it out.
With the Emergency Hammer, you have a glass breakage hammer and a seat belt cutter all in one.
I received an email that I wanted to share with you. I won’t share the actual email because it tells a story that is a little over the top. But there are two important messages.
GPS systems are everywhere now. Some are portable, some are built into cars. One feature of these systems is the ability to store addresses in them. You can even name these addresses for quick reference such as “home” or “in-laws” whatever it may be.
The story was about a car that was stolen from a parking lot. The thieves used the car owners GPS, found a saved address named “home” and went to their house to break in. Somebody had their thinking caps on that day.
First lesson, don’t save your home address in your GPS. Save a local store or somewhere close to home.
Second lesson, don’t leave valuables out where people can see them. Criminals act on opportunity. A purse or expensive electronic is like an invitation to a thief. Hide things under seats or better yet, lock them in the trunk.
A diversion safe is a great way to hide valuables in plain sight. No one is going to think twice about a JB Engine Degreaser.
Tonight is the night of ghosts and ghouls. In case you missed our Newsletter, here are some safety tips for keeping children safe:
- help your child pick a costume that is safe. Think fire proof, no loose material that could cause them to trip, make sure eye holes are large and don’t interfere with peripheral vision.
- Jack-o-lanterns: make sure if you have any on your porch they are out of the way of children.
- If your child is carrying a prop, make sure it won’t cause injury if he should fall.
- Kids love to help carve pumpkins but they shouldn’t be allowed to cut the top off. Let them clean out the inside and have them draw on the pumpkin, then you can cut it out. There are pumpkin kits available with saws and designs.
- Teach your kids basic safety: don’t talk to strangers, look both ways before crossing the street, follow traffic lights, and don’t eat any candy until you inspect it.
Hope you have a great Halloween and remember Safety First!
I received an email yesterday from a first time, mother-to-be who wanted to know if we had anything that would let her keep an eye on the new arrival.
I said, “Of course we do!”
She’s due to be a new mom in three weeks. And I could tell she had so many mixed emotions…excitement, anxiety, relief and a little fear.
I recommended to her the Baby Monitor hidden camera. A camera is hidden in the nose of a stuffed puppy which you can put in a crib, playpen or set on a shelf that lets her see and hear everything the baby does.
She was very excited to have this ability. It means while she’s running the household, she knows her baby is safe.
The Baby Monitor hidden camera is great for young children, too. Watch them while they’re playing or napping. Peace of mind is priceless.
It’s Saturday evening, people are making plans to get out and be social. Maybe you’re heading to a favorite pub or night club or even a good sports bar to watch your favorite team.
Whatever it is you’re engaging in this weekend, here are some tips to keep you safe:
- Let someone know where you’re going or what your plans are. If anything happens, at least someone knows where to start looking for you.
- Park in well-lit, highly traveled areas.
- Stick together. A group, even just 2 people, is a harder target for criminals. If you do seperate, set a specific time and place to meet.
- Watch your drink. If your drink is out of sight for any time, throw it away and get a new one. It only takes a second for someone to spike a drink.
- Know your limit if you consume alcohol. If you are suddenly intoxicated after only a couple drinks, get help or find someone you trust immediately.
- Do not drink and drive. Call a cab. You will save yourself the legal trouble and you aren’t risking anyones life.
And always carry a self defense tool. Even if it’s a small pepper spray, it could save your life.
Motion sensor alarms are used to detect the presence of someone or something in an area where they shouldn’t be. By using infrared technology, these devices can sense when someone walks in front of them and will sound an alarm to alert the owner. More than one sensor can be used around the home or business to protect a very large area. Some alarms will even call a phone number when triggered letting you know something is wrong.
I just watched a show called 20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes. Of those twenty, five of them were against children.
1. The 1981 kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh. His mother was 75 feet away from him for about 7 minutes. His body nor the killer have ever been found.
2. The 1996 abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman. The AMBER Alert system was named after this little girl who was alive two whole days after she was kidnapped.
3. The 1996 murder of JonBenet Ramsey. The latest DNA evidence ruled that an unknown male handled her little body and the parents were ruled out.
4. The 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway. She boarded a plane for Aruba and never came home. No body.
5. The 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann who was left unattended in her parent’s hotel room while they dined nearby with friends.
And then there are the very recent cases: Kaylee Anthony believed to have died and then hidden by her own mother or Hayley Cummings…her story is completely unknown an still under investigation.
I could go on and on. And my deepest condolences go out to the families who are living through the hell of losing a child.
Children are easy targets and it is up to us as parents to protect them. To teach them about the dangers that are out there and how to deal with them.
I don’t like to hear any story of violence but it especially weighs on your heart when a child is involved.
Personal alarms are a great self defense tool for children:
1. Explain what an emergency is to your child. Talk about everything as is age appropriate but don’t wait too long.
2. Show your child how to use a personal alarm if they are in an emergency.
3. Teach your child how to call for help and also learn as parents to recognize when a child is in need of help.
