A Home Burglar Alarm SystemAs your Home Security Advisor let's review the effectiveness of a home burglar alarm system. In my experience as a police officer and a burglary detective, I have found the number one deterrent to keep your home from being a target by burglars is a burglar alarm system. In fact, I have never responded to a home burglary where there was a home burglar alarm system installed and activated. I'm not saying it can't happen, but I have investigated a lot of home burglaries and every one I have investigated there was no active burglar alarm in place. Why? Because the risk is so much higher of being caught that the burglars will usually pick an easier target. Even today, most homes don't have any type of home burglar alarm system which gives the criminals a lot of easy targets with little risk of being caught. Ask yourself, which home would you think would be easier to break into undetected – one with or without a security system? Sure, no system is going to be 100% protection, but why would a criminal take the risk of breaking into your home with an alarm system when there are a lot of homes nearby without one? I have seen burglars make an attempt on a home with an alarm system, however as soon as the alarm sounds, they take off. Which is exactly what you want. I know as a law enforcement officer, we really liked the silent alarms on government buildings or businesses which had no indication there was an alarm present at all. That gave us the best chance on catching the burglar in the act. But, on a home, the best home burglar alarm systems will definitely have a loud bell or siren to sound as soon as a window or door is opened – let's send the bad guys running and keep your home safe! As a homeowner I know your goal is to prevent the burglary from happening in the first place – prevention is the key here to keep your family and your belongings safe. I will always recommend to you that the best method for intruder protection of your home is to have an active alarm system with plenty of notice to the bad guys that it exists. Most – if not all – burglar alarm companies will put stickers on the windows around your home that announce the fact there is an alarm system installed. Yard signs at the front of the home have become more common nowadays as well so they can be seen from the street. I recommend having an alarm sticker on every window of your home once the system is installed. The sticker will most likely have name and phone number of your home alarm monitoring company on it – a good indicator to the bad guy that there really is an alarm system installed, rather than just having some generic stickers ordered from a catalog. If you have a home burglar alarm system installed, make sure you actually use it! Burglar alarm systems can be set up so you can use them both when you are home and when you are away. It does happen on occasion that a bandit will test a home by forcing a door or window open and then back off to see if any alarm sounds or if the police show up. So again, if you have an alarm system, please use it! Even with a do it yourself home alarm, the best home alarm systems are set up so they have a sensor on every outside door and window of your home as well as some type of inside sensor. The inside sensor can be a motion sensor, pressure mat, or interior door sensor. The purpose of the inside sensors is as a back up to the outside door and window alarms. If the bandit came in by breaking out the glass of a window and did not actually open it (opening the window or door is what triggers most sensors) then he will be detected by the motion sensors. I have found it to be unusual that a burglar will break out a window and climb through the broken glass. They are most likely going to break a window so they can reach in and open the door or window and then go in. When you are away from home you will want to have the entire system on. However you should also definitely use the home burglar alarm system when you are home as well. The system to be installed on your home should have an option to arm the perimeter while leaving the inside sensor(s) off. That way you can still freely move about your home while the perimeter is still secure. You can even put in a simple driveway alarm so you know when a car pulls up. Believe it or not, I have seen cases where the resident was home at the back part of the house, while the bandit came in through the front door, grabbed a purse and took off – totally unseen and unknown to the homeowner who was there the whole time! I don't even want to mention the violent crimes that can happen to you while you are at home – the headlines and news stories about those crimes are all too common now.
A boat security alarm is another area to consider. Boats are usually very easy targets with valuable items inside. Another very common place to have your property taken, but one which few consider taking any steps to protect. The bottom line is – if you are concerned for the safety of your family and property, my number one recommendation is the home burglar alarm system. There are a lot of options for those now – a lot more than they used to be – and now they are a lot more affordable. Some companies will even put a system in for free as long as you sign a monitoring agreement with them – much like the free cell phones today. There are also some do it yourself alarm systems that also have an option of being monitored. It all depends on your budget, time and handyman skills. Make sure you check out the alarm system reviews before you have a system installed. Return from Home Burglar Alarm System to Home Security Advisor |