Clients and friends,

We can feel the fall weather in Chicago and its a reminder that Halloween is just around the corner. There is always something fun and intriguing about dressing up and being someone else for a night, don’t you agree? However, criminals take advantage of this. They hide their identity behind their Halloween masks to commit crimes. Parties get violent, children get tampered candy, and businesses are robbed. The community suffers when residents don’t follow Halloween safety tips.

What Can You do to Keep Children Safe?

CrimeWire recommends to supervise children closely. They are specially vulnerable to sexual predators when they knock on doors. Additionally, they should wait to consume candy until after adults search the contents. If possible, opt for trick or treating at businesses. Not only do they have better lighting but the treats are usually safer. Please beware that some business require that people take their masks off before entering. Its best to follow this guidelines to prevent any accidents. You can read more tips on how to keep your little ghouls and goblins safe this Halloween with these tips from Crimewire.

We hope our Chicago residents get nice weather.

Haunted Pub caught on camera? yikes!

The post Halloween Safety Tips from CrimeWire appeared first on VinTech Systems.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed the human pyramid of needs. The interesting thing about these needs is that, with the exception of your physiological needs (food, water, etc), your body will not give a physical response in the absence of higher level needs, other than being anxious or nervous.

One definition of the word “security” literally means freedom from anxiety or fear. It got us thinking, “Why feel anxious or live in fear? Everyone should feel safe and secure, and have peace of mind.”

The Basic Needs of Security

Safety and security are pretty basic needs when you really think about it but often overlooked. For example, a few weekends ago I woke up craving a burger (level 1 needs), so my boyfriend (level 3) and I set out to find the most perfect burger in Chicago. Later that day, I was scheduled to shoot a photo shoot for a theater company (level 4 and 5 needs). When I returned home and eventually went to bed, guess what? I had forgotten to lock my front door (level 2 skipped over). It dawned on me as I lied in bed that something wasn’t right. My level 2 internal alarm bell was ringing, and I immediately got out of bed to check my front door.

Safety and security, as a basic need, are easy to overlook. Security means to be free from danger, but to be free from danger, we must take necessary precautions to protect ourselves. Before we skip over to our self actualization, make sure the front door is locked.

The post Seeking Security? Its a Normal Hierarchy Need appeared first on VinTech Systems.

Seven safety steps for safe Black Friday shopping:

1. Arm your alarm systems before leaving your home and at night.
2. Place adequate lighting outside your home or apartment.
3. Shop with a friend. Its fun and safer.
4. Buy insurance on expensive electronics.
5. Keep a watchful eye on your shopping bags.
6. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash and use a credit card to pay if possible.
7. Be discreet when disposing items’ boxes.

We hope you find something special this upcoming holiday sale. We are already making our list. Please visit our Facebook page and let us know of any other safety tips you take before, during, and after shopping. Happy Black Friday 2010!

If you would like to read more safety tips, visit our blog 5 steps to Stop Holiday Package Theft. During the holidays, package theft increases as more people make last minute online purchases.

The post Let the Games Begin – Black Friday 2010 appeared first on VinTech Systems.