Are home security systems worth the money you pay?

[PeterGriffin]

I've been thinking about installing a home security system since I've been traveling a lot. I've read several articles on the web about the usefulness as well as the problems of having such an alarm system. I would like to know how many of you have a home security system and has it really helped you in the past?
One of the most common complaint about a home security system is the false alarms.
In the article by NY Times, it talks about how it's not solving its purpose
[quote]
Stan Martin, executive director of the Security Industry Alarm Coalition, acknowledged as much. He said that in big cities like New York, Atlanta and Chicago, police could take 30 to 45 minutes to respond, while in smaller towns the best that could be hoped for was six to eight minutes. Given that those times are in addition to the two minutes it takes for the alarm to register at the monitoring station and the operator to call you, the thief and your jewelry could be long gone.
Mr. Martin also attributed part of the slow response to the high number of false alarms ? an estimated 80 percent of alarm calls ? and partly to the low priority of burglaries.
[/quote]

[returning_indian]

Home sec systems are usually not recommended for VoIP home phones, but support monitoring via wireless ph for an extra fee.

Unrelated to discussion and most people know it anyway but still would like to mention that if you have a landline port in your house, then you can plug in a landline phone to it and call 911 in case of emergency (even without any connection from at&t or other service provider).

[GutsyGibbon]

Faulty alarm contacts on the doors/windows. Also over sensitive motion detector going off when some cockroach crawls. :) As well, punching in the wrong code to disarm when waking up with hangover?

When sun reflects off of windshields into the living rooms, it causes moving shadows. Same deal with living rooms that have skylight. Even flying birds cause moving shadows.

It is all about diverting the thief to not target your house but go somewhere else. It is generally a good idea to install real or fake cameras, Secured by "XYZ" poster, fake or real motion detectors, and also hook everything to a local alarm or remote monitoring. There are also tons of gadgets available to periodically turn lights on and off while you are away.

There was a year where desi homes were targeted for availability of gold, most desis removed their door decorations in kannada we call it "thorana". Now the new desi's who have not seen that string of robberies are back putting their door decorations. :-)

[returning_indian]

There is a system I have heard that generates sound of a barking dog at random intervals. I guess objective is to deter thieves by sound of a pitbull etc.

[MrLong]

There is a system I have heard that generates sound of a barking dog at random intervals. I guess objective is to deter thieves by sound of a pitbull etc.

Adding a police siren along with the dog bark will cost $ 5 more per month :)

[layman]

I have a slightly different opinion. Just do some math.

$45 x36 +90 = $1720. When the bill comes the $45 will bump up with surcharge, tax etc. Let us round off to $2000.

In 3 yrs you spend $2000 and the probability of losing $2000 is 100%

If a thief enters your house in 3 yrs when you are not there how much loss will you have? Nowadays, we all have only electronics goods at home and we have to replace these TVs, laptops etc almost every yr. And if the thief steals the stuff, your home insurance is going to pay for these goods. So, your net loss is almost 0 and the probability of losing almost 0 is almost one in 1000 or whatever..

Now, if a thief enters your house and kills you it is a threat to your life and it is serious. But the alarm system is not going to help much because you will turn off alarm when you are at home.

There is one aspect the alarm helps. A thief enters your house and as a result there is identity theft - credit cards etc. Aren't there other mechanisms to handle identity theft if it happens?


Car ins is different. If you drive a car for 3 yrs, the probability of having an accident is fairly high and the liability can go to 100s of thousands.

[boca]

So one has a state-of-art security system installed and there is an armed intruder. The alarm goes off and the intruder knows that it will take 10 mins for any semblance of police turning up. He is mad about the alarm (and probably high on drugs already with diminished cognitive skills)!

Now what? :)

[boca]

Now, if a thief enters your house and kills you it is a threat to your life and it is serious. But the alarm system is not going to help much because you will turn off alarm when you are at home.

Didn't see your post, before mine.

[returning_indian]

Now, if a thief enters your house and kills you it is a threat to your life and it is serious. But the alarm system is not going to help much because you will turn off alarm when you are at home.

Not many people turn off alarm when they are in the house. Whats the point of having it, if you turn it off. If robber shoots you and you are injured and not able to reach phone then you are at the mercy of an alarm system.

[returning_indian]

So one has a state-of-art security system installed and there is an armed intruder. The alarm goes off and the intruder knows that it will take 10 mins for any semblance of police turning up. He is mad about the alarm (and probably high on drugs already with diminished cognitive skills)!

Now what? :)

Robbers don't expect alarm system?