Today's technology makes burglar alarms 'smart'

Source: The Porterville Recorder, Calif.迷你倉Sept. 07--Home invasions and burglaries seem to be on the rise lately and many people no longer feel safe in their own home. It's difficult to watch a television show without seeing at least one commercial for "cheap alarm service," but, how do you know it will work for your home?Residential burglar alarms are becoming more popular because they are more affordable and provide better protection than ever before."Burglar alarms are a great deterrent against property crimes," said Porterville Police Department's spokesperson Sgt. Dominic Barteau.With today's advanced technology, homeowners can get just about any kind of protection they want from a burglar alarm, from basic alarms to being able to monitor and control conditions in the home via a cell phone or other portable device.However, getting a burglar alarm can have it's own dangers, as owner of S.T.O.P. Alarm in Porterville, Ron Irish, explained. Selling residential alarms are a huge scam that many people fall for. According to Irish, he's heard instances of people claiming to be from an alarm company inspect a home and leave bathroom windows open for access later as well as drawing out blueprints of the home and selling them to thieves."With residential alarms, make sure you know who you're dealing with. Ask for their business license, their California license, and then look for their city license," said Irish, who has been in the alarm business for 45 years.Another consideration when contemplating an alarm system for the home is which company to choose. Prices vary according to company and the type of system a homeowner desires; however, some customers may choose to go with out-of-state companies thinking their prices are cheaper.That is one of Irish's pet peeves. "We have people coming from out of state to put in alarms; they [the customers] pay out of state, out of state companies call us for help and none of the money goes to here [Porterville], to our police and fire departments. They don't have the same ordinances as us. Out of state companies don't even pay the City for a city business license."In Tulare County there are three local alarm companies that monitor, install and service their own systems; S.T.O.P. Alarm in Porterville, Gitto's Alarm Tech in Tulare and Knight Guard Alarm in Visalia.Most alarm companies work with their customers to customize the home to the appropriate specifications."You can't take one type of security and say it will work for every house," Irish said. "We try not to do low-end alarms; we try to do personal security.""I recommend whichever one [security plan] is best for the situation," Terry Thompson, co-owner of Knight Guard Alarm, and in the alarm business for 52 years, said. "The changes we have nowadays, we can do a lot more than we could before. Alarm systems today are smart."False AlarmsOne hassle that may tend to turn customers away from getting an alarm system for their home is the report of repeated false alarms. Thompson, whose company monitors over 300 residential alarms, said false alarms are not a huge problem. The common false alarms, she said, are caused by errors such as having balloons in a corner with a fan going. The fan blows air against the balloons causing them to move and set off the motion detectors, which causes the false alarm.Irish said S.T.O.P. Alarm has "less than .05 p儲存倉rcent false alarm rate, and most of that is employee error. During a 24-hour period, we may average 5-7 dispatches. Four of those might be employee error." S.T.O.P. Alarm monitors about 3,500 accounts currently.Barteau said, "We average somewhere in the range of 120-140 calls per month where officers check the buildings and residences and they are not burglarized. This does not mean that someone or something did not set it off, but simply that when we arrive the building is secure."Larry Lindgren of Porterville, a customer of S.T.O.P. Alarm for 35 years for both residential and business, praised the alarm system and admitted that the majority of false alarms were their own fault."We've caused more problems by accidentally setting off the alarm not knowing it was on," Lindgren laughed. Luckily, "we've only had a couple [false alarms] over the years. I wish our cars worked as good as our alarms."Most people seek out security alarms for their home after they have been burglarized."Eighty-five percent of all of those that we monitor have been hit twice first," Irish said. He also commented on the rise in residential burglaries saying the "crime rate is a lot worse now than a year ago."A Good Deterrent"Alarm systems don't necessarily stop a burglary from happening, but they may cause the criminal to flee or be quick and not steal as much," said Barteau. "Delaying criminals is another important aspect of keeping burglars out. The longer it takes to get into your home, the more likely a burglar is to give up and move on. Video surveillance systems ... are a great resource the investigating officers can use to identify and arrest perpetrators. Posting the signs of the burglar alarm company in view can also be a deterrent."Aside from burglar alarms, there are other precautions homeowners can take to help prevent or delay would-be burglars."Deterring burglars begins with ensuring you have good locks and solid entry points. Always lock all doors and windows," Barteau stressed.Other preventative measures from Barteau include:- Make it appear that someone is always at home. Leave your television or radio on and install an automatic timer to some of the lights in your house to make it appear as if the house is occupied- Motion flood lights outside also help to deter burglars working at night- Make sure bushes and greenery are trimmed to allow a good view of your home from the street so burglars don't have somewhere to hide and so police can see them if they are in the area- Dogs can also alert the neighbors that someone is prowling near your houseWhen it comes to protecting the home, using burglar alarms may be one of the best options."We have absolutely had cases where alarms have led to the capture of criminals in the process of committing crimes," Barteau said.Still, whether a home has a security system or not, there are basic measures that should be observed at all times to keep the home as safe as possible."As always," says Barteau, "community is the best tool we, the police department, can use. Know your neighbors, look out for them, report suspicious subjects and vehicles if and when you see them. Be the best witness by remembering details."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Porterville Recorder (Porterville, Calif.) Visit The Porterville Recorder (Porterville, Calif.) at .recorderonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉價錢