| What's your most precious possession? For many it | | | | Some homeowners decide to fit gates at the |
| will be their beloved pet cat or dog. For the high flier | | | | entrance of their property as a burglar deterrent. |
| it might be their shiny new Porsche. Some will say | | | | However this often fails to have the desired effect. |
| their photos, whether stored in albums or on a PC. | | | | Unless the gates are kept locked they will never |
| For others it will be a collection of a different sort - | | | | provide much of a barrier to a determined criminal. |
| stamps, books, jewellery or paintings. | | | | To make matters worse, people coming and going |
| Though many and varied, the majority of our most | | | | through manually operated gates often neglect to |
| precious possessions have one thing in common - we | | | | shut them. This problem is compounded when cars |
| keep them at home. | | | | are also parked on the property. The hassle of |
| Over the years our homes become repositories for | | | | getting out of the car to open or shut the gates |
| special objects that remind us of our personal and | | | | quickly gets too much, so the gates stay open. And |
| family history, as well as those little luxuries that add | | | | a driveway with open gates, especially with a nice |
| to our quality of life. Yet all of this could disappear | | | | car sitting on the drive, is an open invitation to |
| over night if a burglar decides to target your home. | | | | thieves. |
| And although you've probably insured your material | | | | A Viable Alternative |
| possessions, it's just not possible to put a figure on | | | | On the other hand, automated electric gates do |
| sentimental value. | | | | offer genuine security benefits. Electric gates in |
| A Real and Growing Threat | | | | conjunction with a video or audio intercom provide an |
| In January the Home Office reported a 5% increase | | | | extra layer of protection for your home, by helping |
| in burglaries - the first significant rise in seven years. | | | | to secure the perimeter of your property. You can |
| Norwich Union have predicted a rise in burglary rates | | | | even control them remotely from some considerable |
| of up to 50% during 2009, as a result of the | | | | distances. |
| continuing economic downturn. | | | | In the past automated electric gates were a luxury |
| With 2.4 million people already out of work and the | | | | only available to the wealthy. But in recent years new |
| numbers only set to get worse for the foreseeable | | | | more affordable gate automation technology has |
| future, the outlook is not likely to improve for the | | | | come onto the market, making it a realistic option for |
| next few years. | | | | the average homeowner. In some cases it's even |
| The Truth about Gates | | | | possible to automate gates that are already in place. |