House Alarm, Is it a Deterrant?
 

I need you guys opinions, do you think a Home Security Alarm is a deterrant to home breakins at all? We have one - ours is Monitored and everything.

Just curious. The Police were just at my door and a burglar was hopping thru the neighborhood over fences including thru my backyard, while I was home, and left some of his ill-gotten gains behind hidden in something in my yard.

All our neighbors have been hit, but not us... I want to add the word "yet" to that, I just know we'd be next. if it wasn't for alarm? Or that I'm home almost all the time now? I'm just scared is all. I was about to go to the Grocery Store but now I'm afraid to leave. And I don't want to become "like that" either, afraid to leave my own house. Imagine what they'd do to my dogs.:(

My house alarm is on at ALL times, whether we are home or not. Post the stickers in your windows and place a sign stuck in the ground in front your home. YES I do think it is a deterrent.

I am also getting security cameras installed, inside and around the house outside :D - You just never know....

:eek: Now days we can Never be too careful!!! We fenced in our 2.5 acres and gated our driveway because there were so many breakins in our neighborhood..(also because we hybridize hostas and daylilies and have lots of deer) :eek: we thought crooks want an easy in and out so climbing our fence or gate would probably be a deterant compared to those that don't have that...so far so good!! :)

Yes, it is definitely a deterrent. :thumbup:

Our home was burglarized about 4 years ago when we did not have one. The police said that our house was chosen because all of the others around us had alarm systems or at least signs saying they had alarm systems.

alarms
 

Alarm signs work as well..seriously. I had ours turned off after 5 yrs, but kept the signs in the yards, windows for the next 5 yrs...houses on either side were robbed over the years, but ours never was...the police told us a robber has no clue what alarms are actaully monitored or not..so they don't take a chance as a rule...

Alarms, motion lights and big dogs!!! :thumbs_up

We live WAYYYY out in the boonies on a dead end road......but there are 4 uuper scale houses and a "hunting lodge" down here too.....several places have been broken into (one has been hit three times!!!!)...but thank the good Lord....ours never has. Course, w/ three 100lb dogs (2 labs and 1 German Shepard) roaming about....I don't think many want to try!

I hope your house stays safe!!!

OT, but I LOVE hostas!!!

On topic: We live in a gated, 24 hour armed guarded community (no, it's NOT a federal penitentiary:rolleyes: ), have a house alarm and security cameras....there's still been breakins (but usually when people are not home) in the community. It's very frustrating when stuff like that happens, but I guess it can (and does) happen anywhere. Sometimes, I wish we lived out in the middle of nowhere..but even then, creeps are everywhere anymore:(

Thanks, keep the replies comin'! ;)

I got my guts back up and went to the Grocery Store after all. Not like me to hide out at home thinking "what if"...(well it's almost like me, but not yet. LOL). I am thinking of putting in motion lights, I oughta do that. Maybe some fake (or REAL) cameras. I see them at Costco and the price isn't bad. Wouldn't that be cool if I had that, and could just turn the tape over to the police and say "here they are" "here's who ran thru the yard, now go get 'em"!

You know, if they really care, they could pull the prints off the items I found in my back yard and catch the guy. Certainly they can differentiate from my prints because here in Texas EVERYONE gets printed when they get their drivers license.

I have an alarm and I highly recommend it. I don't know if it is a deterrent seeing as I don't have the sign posted but I sleep better. In the summertime I felt like the house was very vunerable when we are up in the bedrooms with the window units running. So it makes me feel much better to have it. Hubby works night so I make sure it's on when he is not here and were all alone.

You know, thats funny because I immediately thought I should get a BIG dog to keep in the backyard. Then I realize I know myself tooooo welll and the BIG dog would be inside with my little ones and be yet another baby for me to coddle. Wouldn't do much good then. LOL!!! But it IS a reason for me to get another dog huh....? :p :thumbup:

Big guy in the house is very good because he will protect the babies.

YEAH!!! Thats it... :p :rolleyes: I can just see it now, a puppy, a cute fuzzy little big footed puppy that will grow by leaps & bounds daily until he is a big cuddly guard dog. :animal36 Now, when is my husband coming home so I can look at him with cute eyes and say "honnnney, can we?"... of course knowing my husband, he'll say how soon can we go get it! (he loves animals as much as I do.)

Hey the more the merrier if you can handle it I say.

Our house has an alarm system. It was here when we bought the house. We also have a sign in the front yard and window stickers. I also have lights on timers through out my house. One room that we hardly ever use has a vacation timer.. it comes on at different times everyday. The others I have set for normal hours. This way if I am out past dark, some lights will be on.

I have also heard that you should:

* have an alarm signs posted. Visible from the street.
* a sign that says you have a really big dog. Posted on your gate.
* set out a dog dish with a really "mean" name...not fluffy.(lol);)
* If you are a female living alone: you should also put a pair of 'big'
mens workboots (dirty), by the door.
* vary you schedule: never come and go at the same time. Leave earlier or
arrive home earlier the usual.

Thieves are looking for an easy target. They don't want to deal with a alarm system, big dogs or a huge guy. Plus, they would like it if you where not home.

I definately think it's a deterrant.

When you go out though, you have to be aware of your surroundings and any cars that may be behind you as well. My next door neighbor came home one night and a car that followed her into our neighborhood slowed down as she approached her drive way. Well one guy got out while she was pulling in to her driveway and was able to sneak up on her while the car creeped up the street. They robbed her at gun point.

Oh, if you have shrubs in front of your windows and by your doors, always keep them trimmed down low cause someone could hide behind them.

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.