Johns Creek 24/7 Locksmith: May 2016

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Black nationalist ‘Washitah Nation’ claims Bywater house, changes locks while home is for sale

By Robert McClendon, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Squatters espousing allegiance to an esoteric black nationalist movement have staked a claim to a Bywater house up for sale and remain there more than a week after neighbors complained to police about the apparent trespassing.

The newcomers have posted signs claiming the property now belongs to the Washitah Mu’ur Nation. The Washitah, more commonly spelled Washitaw, claim to be descended from the original inhabitants of the New World, who, according to the group, were black Africans.

Fredrick Hines, whose name is on the tax rolls for the property and whom neighbors say is the true owner, called police after he found out a group of young people had moved into his investment property and changed the locks. Hines said he showed police the deed, which has his name on it, but they wouldn’t remove the people living in the house.

The squatters also showed the officers some papers claiming ownership, Hines said, though he isn’t sure what kind of papers they could have had. They wouldn’t give him a copy.

Police said that, because both parties had papers, there was nothing they could do.

If Hines wanted the squatters removed, he said, police told him he would have to file eviction papers, a process that would take more than a week and cost him several hundred dollars. Hines said that he has filed the eviction papers and is now waiting for the time limit for the squatters to contest the ruling to run out, which should be some time this week.

“It’s frustrating,” Hines said, especially because this does not appear to be the first time the group has done this. “The police told me this is like the third house they’ve broken into,” he said.

Article source here: Black nationalist ‘Washitah Nation’ claims Bywater house, changes locks while home is for sale

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Setting Up a Security System For Your Small Business

By: Greg Nunan

If you are a small-business owner or are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a small business, you know that it’s not a matter of if, but when you’ll suffer a loss due to robbery, burglary or internal theft. Once you face this reality, you have a choice: You can be proactive, or you can be reactive.

Shutting the barn door after the cows are gone is being reactive. Installing a video surveillance camera system that will let you monitor the premises any time of the day or night is proactive. For extra peace of mind, you can hand off the responsibility to an off-site security alarm company after closing hours. In addition to these hi-tech solutions, it never hurts to resort to a very low-tech solution — posting warning signs.

Security Signage

Whether intended for employees or the general public, warning signs can serve as a first line of defense. Should they choose to disregard them, they will face the consequences.

Security signage, whether displayed indoors or out, should be vandal-resistant, and made of metal or laminated heavy stock paper. They should be prominently displayed near main entrances, secure areas, in warehouse and at dock doors; as well as employee break rooms, bathrooms and dressing rooms. Take a walk through your property and decide which signs and locations best suit your purposes:

“Vandalism Will be Prosecuted”
“No Admittance”
“Authorized Personnel Only”
“Shoplifters Will be Prosecuted”

Psychological studies suggest that signage featuring “watching eyes” makes people act in more socially acceptable ways. Researchers in Great Britain conducted a study to see if signs had any effect on bicycle theft on college campuses. They installed durable signs bearing images of watching eyes and a corresponding verbal message above bicycle racks in three areas, and did nothing in the rest of the campus, using that as a control. After a year of monitoring, it was found that thefts had declined by 62 percent in the warning areas. This suggests that not only can signs be an inexpensive crime reduction intervention, but that merely suggesting surveillance goes a long way, even when none is in place.

Whether it is true or not, adding the words, “24 hour video surveillance” or “alarmed and monitored by police” tends to multiply a sign’s effectiveness. Yet a better idea is to follow through with either or both of them.