Burglar Alarm Tips

A burglar alarm is an effective way to protect your home and property.  But false alarms are a tremendous problem that can waste the time of first responders and keep them from reacting quickly to real emergencies.  In fact, the Salt Lake City Police Department estimates that 99% of their burglar alarm calls are false.

The City of Oakland, California gets over 20,000 false alarms a year at a cost of more than $2 million.  To combat the problem, Oakland — and many other cities — have passed burglar alarm ordinances.  If your city has one, and you’re not in compliance, you could be fined.  And if you cause a false alarm, it could really be expensive.

Does your city have a burglar alarm ordinance?

Most burglar alarm ordinances require consumers to obtain a permit from the city before they install a burglar alarm or home security system.  Fees generated by the permits are used to offset the cost of responding to the alarms.  And information provided with the permit application enables the police department to contact the homeowner before dispatching a response team.

As a rule, fees are greater if the homeowner doesn’t have a valid permit, or if the permit has expired. For example, the City of Oakland charges valid permit holders $84 for a general false alarm and non-permit holders $154.   What’s more, Oakland charges those without valid permits $70 to respond to a genuine burglar alarm call.  Those with valid permits are not charged.

Because robbery calls require two officers to respond, they are even more expensive.

Many cities have an escalating scale in which each subsequent call is assessed a greater fine.  Some also offer false alarm prevention classes.  People who attend often receive a break on fines or fees.

In order to make sure that home security monitoring services also take responsibility for making sure their customers comply with the ordinance, they are also billed for unregistered alarm systems.

In Oakland, the permit fee is $25 for homes and $35 for businesses.  In other places, such as Salt Lake City, no fee is required for the permit.  There, private security guards are employed to respond to burglar alarm calls.  Police are only dispatched if the security guard finds that a crime has occurred.

Before you have a burglar alarm or home security system installed, find out what permits your city requires and what other steps you should take to help reduce the burden on your local police department.  The company you purchase your burglar alarm from should be able to provide you with applications and information.

Read more home security tips here.

Does your city have a burglar alarm ordinance Image Flickr: jondoeforty1

Burglar alarms protect your home by scaring off intruders.  In the best case scenario, seeing the yard signs is enough to encourage would-be thieves to go elsewhere.  If they do break in, an alarm can convince them to leave as quickly as possible.  Which will likely limit what they can steal.

But there’s another deterrent that can help protect your home, property, and family around the clock – a four-legged home security system.  For millennia, man has used dogs to help guard things of value.  And today, there are dogs suitable for just about every home or apartment.

You don’t need a big, guard dog to protect your home.  Even a small dog can be a very unwanted inconvenience to a trespasser.

There are several things that dogs do naturally that enhance your security.  First of all, they bark.  This lets your neighbors know that something’s wrong.  And it lets potential intruders know that the experience inside your home won’t be quiet and hassle free.

If you don’t have a dog, you may think that all barking is pretty much the same.  Not true.  If a dog – or something it cares about – is threatened, their bark is much more persistent.  In fact, when they’re distressed, it’s nearly impossible to shut them up.

If someone is foolish enough to enter your home, chances are they won’t be warmly received.  Not all dogs bite, but a surprising number do, especially when a stranger is on their turf.  Even if your dog doesn’t bite, you can be sure that he’ll be a serious distraction to uninvited guests.

Dogs have several advantages over conventional burglar alarms.  Although annoying to you and your neighbors, their false alarms probably won’t cost you anything.  You can’t  forget to arm them – dogs are “on” virtually all the time.  Plus, they’ll make you feel better if you’ve had a bad day at work.

That said, there are some things to consider before you invest in a canine protection device.   Start-up costs can run anywhere from $100 to several thousand, depending on the model and features you select.  And monthly costs vary, but include food, vet bills,  bones, biscuits, and tennis balls.

There’s always a chance that your dog won’t be completely reliable.  In fact, he may love everyone he’s ever met – including that fellow walking off with your grandma’s silver.  And if he doesn’t work out, he’s pretty hard to return.

When you add it all up, most dogs cost more than conventional burglar alarms, and they’re a lot more trouble.  So you’re probably better off getting a burglar alarm for protection.  But get a dog just for the fun of it.

Find other kinds of burglar alarms here.

Dog Image Flickr: kirainet