burglar alarms?

would you recommend installing one? do they really deter burglars, or are they just a joke?

anybody have any opinions on which are better, the kind that just make noise, or the kind that are connected to a service which alerts the cops? what sort of value for money are we talking here?

we're moving, we hope, later this month into our first house, a mid-terrace. i'm concerned that potential thiefs could see us moving our stuff in or getting appliances delivered and think we're an easy target (it's not like we have much--and nothing valuable, really, but still...).

a few folks at work have been burgled recently (all in the birmingham area) and i've been thinking about this. the thought of someone forcibly entering my home & touching my stuff wigs me out, but i can't afford to feed half a dozen rottweilers quite yet, and it's a bit uncomfortable sleeping with a cricket bat under your pillow. 

Yes.  Get one.  I lived in the only house on the block that didn't have an alarm.  There was one attempted burglery and then a break-in.  The alarms are enough of a deterent that most thieves won't try - they want an easy time of it and will choose the house that they see doesn't have one...especially if they are casing a neighborhood and see new stuff moving into a flat/house.  The best kind are the sort that are connected to the police...but I think almost any sort is better than nothing at all.  I moved out before my landlord put in an alarm so I don't know what sort he got for the next tenant (but we made sure he got them one!).

You won't do any harm installing one in your house, BUT I would strongly advise getting a proper reputable alarm company to suvey your house and install it properly. In some cases they can be very sensitive and prone to go off for seemingly no reason, when your alarm goes off when your in the middle of your holiday abroad and keeps going off your neighbours will not be happy I can assure you!

It is also worth noting that the Police will generally not respond to audible only alarms that are not connected to an approved alarm centre where nothing suspicious has been seen (open window, light on when should be out, different car on driveway etc etc). This is due to the sheer number of calls where the alarms were incorrectly installed and went off of there own accord or the wind blowing etc.

You can if you wish have it connected to an Alarm Receiving Company (ARC) which are a private company (ADT Fire & Security being one example) and they monitor your alarm for you. If certain circumstances exist (Two or more sensors activated, audio heard etc) they will call the police on a special phone line and pass details and in urban areas the police will be there within minutes. You will obviously pay a fee for this, I think it's currently about £1 a day but you would need to speak to someone to confirm it.

Burglars are looking for the easy option and certainly an alarm adds to there risk and they would proabably think twice. I would still invest in some good quality locks for your doors and windows (and always remember to lock them when you go out, most burglaries are more opportunistic than anything else and see an open window and give it a go) and a motion activated security light for your garden to alert anyone that came from the back garden. I don't know 

If you need crime prevention advice try and give your local police station a ring and speak to your crime reduction officer (If you live in the West Midlands I know for a fact they are at your local police station) who should be able to give you some basic tips. There is still a point to be made that Burglary has fallen 39% in the past 10yrs which is'nt bad going and it is becoming rarer and rarer to become a victim of it.


 

thanks for the tips.

you guys rock.

Can't add much more to Mr Happy's post! - we have a similar setup for our business premises/warehouse, but as yet I don't have it at home. I'll be installing a good quality pro fitted alarm at home for an extra deterrent alongside my currently totally ferocious dog who's skills amount to licking to death!

Shop around though, don't go overboard with the sophistication levels.

One other area to add is that you can add in your own Wireless security cameras that use Wifi from your Internet Wifi Router and so you can 'dial in' whenever you like to keep an eye on your home.

Cheers! DtM! West London UK!

In some cases they can be very sensitive and prone to go off for seemingly no reason, when your alarm goes off when your in the middle of your holiday abroad and keeps going off your neighbours will not be happy I can assure you!

We are those neighbours. I can't tell you how frustrating it is when it goes off (house a few doors down) and doesn't get dealt with for HOURS.

If you do fit an alarm, there are two schools of thought on visibility.  Some suggest that making the outdoor sounder/strobe box as conspicuous as possible deters would-be burglars.  Others suggest that this indicates you have something which is well worth stealing, and that making the system as inconspicuous as possible might make your property less of a target while still affording protection.    The "highly visible" approach seems to be the one most favored for new installations these days, but factors such as the type of neighborhood, whether other homes in the street also have visible alarms, etc. might also affect the decision.

A couple of other points worth noting with regard to false alarms.  First, new systems to the appropriate British Standards should have a sounder cut-off which will silence the system after a period of about 15 to 20 minutes (and just leave the strobe flashing until reset, if so equipped).  Second, be aware that in some areas it has now become law that you have to register an alarm with your local council and provide a designated keyholder's name and address.  This has all been done under the guise of environmental noise protection.

Which store should I go to get those DIY alarms / sensor? Living in a rented apartment, I can't install ADT alarm systems.

Back in US, I used windows breakage sensor and door stopper and have a friend of mine re-wired the sensor to a strobe light outside the house. I've also installed a program that monitor my house using 2 webcams that can detect movement and sent me a text message (if I am out). Of course, this is in addition to my .45 handgun.

Hi Lanwarrior!

I assume LAN is Local Area Network?!!!

Doing the webcam with movement thing is something I've been thinking of for a while and just not got around to

the DIY type alarms are readily available in places like Wickes and B&Q Depot etc, as well as place's like Maplin etc. Check out independant trade electrical's type places too as they often have semi pro equipment at little more cost than retail systems found in the places above and have allsorts of options and add-on bits and pieces.

As for the Gun, flippin heck! did you ever get to use it?!  I always think to myself if I was in the US and legally had a gun etc, and someone did break in or whatever, I'd probably pick the gun up and then wouldn't know what to do with it and have it wobbling around like jelly ! then I'd probably wind up gettin shot for wasting time faffing about with the 'real gun' !

Cheers! DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Hi Lanwarrior!

I assume LAN is Local Area Network?!!!

Yep! 100% network geek.

Doing the webcam with movement thing is something I've been thinking of for a while and just not got around to

It's actually quite simple. You can download many web-cam monitoring programs and have it run 24x7. But this means your machine is running 24x7 too! I have 4 servers at home that already running in that capacity, so I don't mind.

the DIY type alarms are readily available in places like Wickes and B&Q Depot etc, as well as place's like Maplin etc. Check out independant trade electrical's type places too as they often have semi pro equipment at little more cost than retail systems found in the places above and have allsorts of options and add-on bits and pieces.

Cool! I'll check it out!

As for the Gun, flippin heck! did you ever get to use it?!  I always think to myself if I was in the US and legally had a gun etc, and someone did break in or whatever, I'd probably pick the gun up and then wouldn't know what to do with it and have it wobbling around like jelly ! then I'd probably wind up gettin shot for wasting time faffing about with the 'real gun' !

So far, I have not used it to defend myself in a robbery or home-invasion situation. I've been training myself for the last 10 years using different type of firearms, such as handguns, shotguns, and rifles and I used to go to the gun range at least once every month, even more in the past (once every 2 weeks). I've also trained at FrontSight (http://www.frontsight.com/courses/advanced-tactical-handgun-training.asp)

A couple of mail-order alarm suppliers to check:

http://www.diy-alarms.co.uk/

http://www.electrotec-alarms.co.uk/