I had an alarm put in a year ago because my husband was going over the road as a truck driver, I have panick disorder and i will sit at the window all night long watching because i am so afraid of someone breaking in my home.Since we installed the alarm i will tell you i have had such peice of mind. I also placed the sign in my yard right by the steps and i have a sticker on EVERY(lol obssesive) and i mean EVERY door and window (basement included) it has brought me comfort.

A few other things you can do:

1. trim all hedges and bushes in front of any windows down
2. make sure all trees in your yard are groomed well and your door can be seen from the road.
3. take in your garbage cans right after they are emptied

My mothers house was brokie into and she lives on a very busy road, the reason they chose this house was because she had a huge tree in the front yard that they hadn't groomed yet that year and the burglers kicked in the front door.

They also had a neibor who's house was broken into and the police said it was because she was the only one on the block who had not brought her garbage cans back in that day.

here are some links that help to prevent burglary:
http://www.essortment.com/home/preventhomebur_spat.htm

http://nv.essortment.com/burglarystatis_rhjx.htm

http://www.citymb.info/Index.aspx?page=233

http://www.sarasotasheriff.org/protecthome.asp

Ok, im going to be on the other side of this.

I think its pointless to have one, other than if you just think it makes you feel safe. An alarm company doesn't call the 911 center right away like its advertised... and 911 doesn't dispatch alarm calls out right away. So if you think that they police will be there in a matter of seconds, its not always true IN EVERY case. some they are but in 98 percent of them there not..and if someone wants something bad enough they will break in. Just my 2 cents.

I actually have a 2 way radio in mine.. If my alarm goes off and it is not cancelled by me they will come on over the intercom and listen to see if there is someone in the house or if i am yelling for help. Then they call me right away to see if i am home if i am not they dispatch immediatly:) not all companies do though so i would check the companies out before i bought one..

You know, the idea of "fake" cameras isn't all that far fetched. I have a friend, who has literally, hundreds of thousands of dollars of exotic birds at her home and she has huge charity fundraisers at her home, which could involve who knows WHO....a lot of people go to things when they hear there's an open bar or free food, seriously...and her birds are in big aviaries OUTSIDE most of the time....most of them are microchipped but still.....exotic birds are a prime target of thieves....and until recently, she had just SIGNS saying that the premises were monitored by cameras...she didnt' have ANY! I would say that we're in a relatively low crime ridden area, as far as that sort of stuff goes, but still......it would be so easy. It's seemed to work for her for a long time. I think anything you can do to make your home seem less vulnerable, including motion sensor lights (that's one of the first things they suggest you install when they talk about crime-deterring), and any other signs, etc...get a big "BEWARE OF DOG" sign and make it as menacing as you can....thieves are usually cowards too.