Age Concern, the UK charity for the elderly, is prompting those of us with elderly Mothers to swap our Mothers Day gift of choclates/flowers for life saving personal alarms. The charity is concerned that the older generation are prime targets for thieves, muggers and robbers so personal alarms may be vital to help fight off / prevent attacks from happening. But the charity is also aware that personal alarms are a great way an elderly person to bring help if they have an accident or fall.

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New figures published today on knife crime seems to make a mockery of the new Government crackdown initiative campaign on knife crime in urban areas. The report makes for grim reading as it highlights that there are 5 deaths each week relating to knife crime in England and Wales. North of the Border doesn’t fare any better with Scotland having 1 person knifed to death every week in 2008. The report also hightlights that there have been 19 more deaths this year, even with the new Government knife crime iniative in place than in 2007.

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There has been a lot of talk about Personal Alarms in the press recently and it’s no surprise really when you consider we are entering the festive holiday period and hundreds of thousands more people than usual will be out in the Town / City bars and clubs celebrating. Personal safety is paramount and carrying an unobtrusive personal safety alarm on your belongings is a positive step.

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New figures released from the Government shows that the number of teenagers caught carrying knives has fallen. The campaign was set-up back in July, at a cost of 2 million pounds to the taxpayer, and has seen over 100,000 youths searched since its launch. During the campaign, 2,200 knives were taken off the streets and the number of youngsters caught carrying has went from 1 in 30 to 1 in 65.

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Violent crime is on the rise in many once-safe communities, and more and more people are finding it necessary to include an extra measure of security to protect themselves and their loved ones from assault. Passing through familiar or unfamiliar neighborhoods, being alone at the office or even just walking across the car park at night to get to your car can pose a serious risk to your safety.

Terry Rattee of Crime Prevention Products said “Going away on holiday is a vital time to begin considering a personal alarm which has the ability to attach to your bag or purse because sadly, bag and purse snatches are on the increase when abroad.”  

The Genny’ All-Purpose Personal Alarm (seen right) has such an attachment which allows the user to connect one end of the alarm to their purse or bag and the other (with the pin connector) to a belt loop for example.

As soon as someone grabs the bag or purse, this triggers the 130+ decibel alarm and because it is still attached to the stolen item, it is screaming as they run. It would be a very brave thief that does not drop the item quickly.

There are many different types and sizes of personal alarms to suit every need and lifestyle. They travel easily in pocket or purse, and some personal alarms have other handy self-defence and safety aids built into them, such as a torch or flashing strobe light. These personal alarms are perfect for a woman alone, joggers and cyclists or night-shift employees who might have to enter a dark building or parking lot.

For more information or advice about other Personal Alarms and other helpful self-defence items, visit CPP at www.crimepreventionproducts.co.uk or telephone 01494 792592

A Retired senior police officer will lead a crackdown on violence in hospitals, it was announced recently.  Former South Wales Deputy Chief Constable David Francis has been appointed as NHS Tsar to protect staff from attacks.

A report to Health Minister Edwina Hart called for police patrols in hospitals, more CCTV and Personal Alarms to be issued to staff.  

Crime Prevention Products are the country’s largest mail order provider of Personal Alarms offering 13 different types of personal alarm both battery and gas operated and at really low prices so there is no excuse for not having one. There are different shapes and sizes of personal alarm available so there is sure to be one to suit everybody.

Mrs Hart did a U-turn in April after ministers had asked for Wales to be left out of legislation that outlaws disturbances on NHS premises.  Wales’s omission was overturned in Parliament following an outcry.

Trade union Unison’s Welsh health chief said: “This report highlights what needs to be done but it has the added value of the Welsh Assembly Government commitment to deliver changes in the workplace.”

There are many reasons why a person might not feel safe walking alone, either at night or during the day. They might live in a crime-ridden area, tend to carry a lot of cash or valuable items such as jewellery or electronics, or simply have a healthy fear of criminal behaviour. For whatever reason, there are measures that you can take in order to protect yourself:  Self defence classes, always walking in a group of people, not blatantly carrying any valuable items on you or ever carrying any excess cash. However, these things aren’t ideal for many people and in these cases, personal alarms are a good option.

A Personal Alarm is a small device that can be carried on a person constantly in case of a mugging or potentially dangerous situation. The alarms work on the basic principle that would-be criminals will be immediately put off of doing something when faced with the attention of the public.

When using a battery operated alarm (like the one shown left), it may, in some cases, be a good idea to throw the alarm away from you while running to safety.  Since battery operated personal alarms require the key-chain pin to be replaced before the alarm will shut off, the would-be attacker has no chance of shutting off the device and continuing with the attack.

With a Gas Operated Personal Alarm (like the one shown right), you should always keep the alarm in your hand; they emit such a high pitched screech that should the attacker still be coming towards you, hold the alarm near their ear and they will definitely back off!

It is simple logic that dictates the rules of personal alarms; crimes such as mugging and individual attacks are largely committed during the night or in a concealed place where the attacker cannot be witnessed. The high pitched wailing of personal alarms automatically notifies any people within earshot (and that is a fairly high number even in a sleepy corner of town), and given the natural curiosity of people, the attacker is immediately faced with the chance of being confronted by the public or a police officer.

The chances of being left enough time to complete the attack are drastically cut and therefore the would-be attacker will often back off for fear of being caught.

If you feel unsafe alone outside your home, Personal Alarms are something you may want to look into for yourself. As a solitary traveller on the streets at night, having to walk through a bad part of town or even walking to and from your car at the station, you could be putting yourself at risk and it makes sense to try to protect yourself. A personal attack alarm could be just what you need to feel and be safe when you’re out on your own and don’t forget your daughter – wife or mother too!

No one wants to think that they’ll ever be caught in a situation where they’ll face direct danger of physical harm. That is the type of thing that happens to other people, right? Always being alert, especially when using public transport or when you are in strange surroundings, is great personal safety advice. But being alert and prepared gives you an even better fighting chance in keeping you safe and secure.

Understanding Personal Attack Alarms

By carrying a personal alarm on oneself an attack can be deterred in the first few seconds by activating their personal alarm and emitting an ear-piercing siren that can cause an attacker to turn and flee.

The last thing an attacker wants is to attract attention and that’s the very job that personal alarms are designed to do. Its no coincidence that hill walkers and mountaineers pack personal alarms in their safety / survival kits in the event they may get stranded or injured and lost on a mountainside and can be located via the shrieking siren from their personal alarms.

Many personal attack alarms are small and unobtrusive. They are designed to blend into everyday normal attire and have the look and feel of a Keyring or a Wrist Alarm. Some personal alarms not only emit loud sirens but there are also Gas Personal Alarms can disable the attacker momentarily giving the victim time to escape.

By incorporating a personal alarm into you or your families everyday equipage is a positive step in thinking about personal safety. Attack alarms do not cost great amounts! They are very reasonably priced and manufacturers are continuously upgrading products to make them even more of a must-have buy for the safety concious amongst us. Its not bold to say ‘Personal alarms can save your life‘ it’s more fact than statement, nowadays.

We are pleased to announce the arrival of our new Panic/Help Alarm which is designed for the elderly or infirm to allow the user to immediately call for help in the event of an accident, fall or feeling unwell. It is also useful for anyone of a nervous disposition or those living alone.This compact unit includes a lightweight neck pendant as well as a Panic Button on the main unit itself, so help is ALWAYS going to be at hand. The pendant works within a range of appx. 150 feet of the central controller. All that is needed is to plug the unit into a telephone socket (we even provide a double socket adaptor) and a mains socket, insert the battery (for back-up in case of power failure), programme in up to 3 numbers of your choice together with a short 10 second recorded message and you are ready to go!

Once the Panic Button has been pressed, the central unit will begin calling the first number to be dialled & the user will hear this message being transmitted. When the called number answers, they will also receive the pre-programmed message and just need to press any button on their handset and they will immediately be in two-way communication. Should the called number not respond (by pressing any button) then the unit will begin dialling the second number in the list and so on. A very useful piece of kit and at a very reasonable price too!

A security guard at a wildlife centre near Dundee was knocked unconscious after she disturbed three youths in one of the animal enclosures. Security at Camperdown Wildlife Centre had been heightened after vandals tortured and killed birds and animals there earlier this year.

The guard, who has not been named, was carrying out a patrol at about 9pm when she was attacked. She was taken to Hospital and released without treatment.

This shows the risks involved by security guards whilst trying to carry ouit their patrols, especially at night or in remote areas. The UV Personal Attack Defence Spray is designed to help protect a security guard from such an attack. It works by sending out a ballistic stream of a thick slimy substance that gets into the eyes, mouth and nose of the assailant from up to 3.5m. This is enough to stop the attacker in his or her tracks giving the victim time to make good their escape and call for assistance. Whilst completely unharmful (and therefore legal in the UK) the substance is very difficult to wash off which means he or she will be going home covered in this bright red slimy substance drawing attantion to themselves. In addition it also leaves an invisible UV trace on their skin and clothes which helps with later identification.

Two months earlier, three youths attacked animals at the small zoo on the outskirts of Dundee, leaving two dead. They poked out the eyes of a terrapin, cut a deer in the leg and the hindquarters of a pig before tormenting a Snowy Owl, which was so distressed by the attack that she ate her own chicks.