Alarm systems

[midnight]

For you LEO's out there, how do you feel about alarm systems? Residential, commercial?

[D_Fence]

I'm not a LEO.

I think there are three big benefits to having a monitored alarm.

1. If I'm home, I've got fair warning to get armed. I'm pretty confident I won't wake up with a gun in my face unless a very sophisticated burglar breaks in.

2. If I'm not home, especially if I'm travelling, I'll get "the phone call" to know that I need to have somebody secure the place.

3. I don't have to worry about calling the cops if I'm busy with the intruder, especially if I'm wounded. I can just let the alarm do it for me. If I do have a chance, I keep my cell next to my bed. I'll make the call and let the alarm company do their thing, too.

[danp]

Many of the national companies have a significant time delay between when the alarm goes off and when some guy halfway across the country calls the police. Add to that the fact that most alarm calls are false alarms or operator error and you get a very low priority for alarm calls.

IMO you would be better of "fortifying" your residence to make it more "burgler-proof" than your neighbors' houses. Theives are lazy; that's why they are theives. If it is easier to get into your neighbors' houses, they will leave yours alone.

[BBunin]

Reno and Sparks PD will no longer respond to residential alarms.
They said that it cost them too much in false alarms.

[hacker15]

Originally Posted by BBunin

Reno and Sparks PD will no longer respond to residential alarms.
They said that it cost them too much in false alarms.

Ditto on this one. County Sheriff's Deputies will come out for the suburban residential if they're not otherwise occupied.

City Police will not respond for residential, but will for commercial.

ADT and other services have not ability to send anyone - they can notify local LE agencies.

[D_Fence]

Originally Posted by danp

Many of the national companies have a significant time delay between when the alarm goes off and when some guy halfway across the country calls the police. Add to that the fact that most alarm calls are false alarms or operator error and you get a very low priority for alarm calls.

IMO you would be better of "fortifying" your residence to make it more "burgler-proof" than your neighbors' houses. Theives are lazy; that's why they are theives. If it is easier to get into your neighbors' houses, they will leave yours alone.

Or, you could have an alarm AND do basic things to reduce your house as a target. I don't think anybody here really believes the alarm alone is going to keep them safe. A typical burglary situation is going to be over before the cops show up even if you call 911 yourself. Looking at the reasons I gave a few posts above, my reasons have more to do with notifying me if there is a problem if I'm away or asleep, and the police if I'm dealing with the intruder and can't call 911 right away. If I'm at home and able, I can still use my cell phone to call the police and still let the alarm do its thing.

Alarm users in my city have to pay for an alarm license, which is renewed every few years. They also have to pay fines for false alarms if they get more than two a year. The fines quickly get steep. I'm sure these things do an OK job of reducing the number and cost of false alarms.

The alarm company calls the non-emergency number, so it is sort of understood that the dispatcher/LEO may not treat it with the same priority as a 911 call for a verified felony in progress. I do my best to avoid false alarms since I don't want my house flagged as a "problem house" in case something really does go down.

I've had two false alarms in 5 years and the police responded quickly both times. When my alarm goes off, the monitoring company calls within 10 seconds. Unless somebody answers the phone AND gives a password, they call the non-emergency police number, then they call my cell, and then my wife's cell.

[NC Dave]

Here's a whole thread and poll where this was discussed a few months ago.

Do you currently have

In it I also the discuss the potential advantages of having a system that is monitored with a two-way device that does not require anyone answering the phone.

[Mercmar]

Sandy and Daisy.

[jgrauman]

i install custom home theatre, computer networking and am getting into residential video surveillance. it is extremely cheap and easily maintained by ones self. you can set up websites for your home that monitor all your cameras that you can access from anywhere. you can install motion sensors in and around your home that will alert you if any movement occurs by sending you a text or an email. the software logs all movement at all times. if you have a web enabled phone you can keep up with the entire system from your phone and even install a speaker at your door that will say whatever you record on it, ie. "you're being wathced jacka$$, you better run!" it's better than an alarm because of the reasons already listed by others, and if someone does breakin, you can actually see them! and have a better chance of catching them.

[Trovan]

I once had a neighbor with one of those "This house is Protected by..." signs in his front yard. To be exact, it read: "This house is Protected by Smith & Wesson Home Security Systems". That's the kind I would go with.

Well, maybe SA XD Home Security Systems.