Security Systems / Burglar Alarms - Worth having?

kimbyanne

I need some impartial advice as I can't come to an agreement with my OH.

We live in a second floor flat, relatively well lit area, recently had a new front door and windows fitted.

I want to get a security system / burglar alarm, my OH thinks it's a waste of money.

He has lived in that flat for four years and I have lived there two and we haven't really had any problems, its a fairly quiet area but its not far from what I would say is a "rough" area.

I want to get the Yale Telecommunicating Alarm as it has good reviews and I can get it for under £180 (RRP £300) and it doesn't have any monitoring costs as it calls you directly upon the alarm going off so its not like say ADT where you have to pay for the system then about £25 a month for monitoring.

I think apart from the cost and him deeming it pointless, he doesn't want to put up a big old Yale Siren outside - if we did get the system, do you HAVE to put the Siren Box outside, would the signal box not sound an alarm?

Does anyone here have alarms, do you think they are worth the money or should I just forget about it?!

InsideInsurance

I think you will always get mixed views, some say its a deterrent to thieves if the alarm goes off and others will say its just a sign to tell thieves that you have something worth nicking.

I've had two places with one, neither were ever broken into but obviously cant say if that was due to the alarm or not. Once place however the alarm became faulty and went off. For the first 20 minutes we tried to fix it "properly", we then found the unit was held together by a single screw which once undone showed the siren was simply connected by two wires and a quick tug on one silenced the alarm. All in all about 30 second job.

We called the police on the non-emergency number incase any of our neighbours had called them due to the alarm but they hadn't. About 5 hours later a policeman turned up saying they were just checking up because of the alarm, we kept him at the door and said it was just a fault and he left without making any further enquiries.

From an insurance point of view a non-monitored/ maintained alarm will give almost no discount but may add an endorsement that theft claims whilst the property is unoccupied will only be paid out if the alarm was on. This would suggest that statistically they dont make much difference.

Of cause piece of mind can be worth more than any reduction in premiums or prevention of loss

giraffe69

I inherited one in my last property and had one fitted in my new one. The old alarm paid its way way someone forced open the back door and then scarpered when it went off. It gives me and OH piece of mind. I think it says to burglars, along with other security, that it may be better to try somewhere easier and lower risk.

JJ_Egan

Only one house in our road with no visible alarm box working or not and guess where the burglars burgled .
Its the deterrent factor of a visible alarm box that may stop the casual burglars .
Yale does have an exceedingly loud alarm on the internal box .

johnmc

An alarm is only as good as the response. One that calls your mobile when you are on holiday in Barbados is not really much use.

If you get on well with your neigbours and they are prepared to dial the Police then an audible only is fine. Police do not respond to alarms and security companies are not much use.

IMO fitting obvious cameras, PIR lights with an audible warning and cultivating the neighbours all work with an audible system. You can get one with a prerecorded message "your movements are being recorded and the Police have been informed" or just a simple siren.

Make sure that any system complies with NACPO rules that silence the alarm and switch on a flashing light after, I think, 1/2 an hour.

Ralph-y

this is a second floor flat .............

if the front door is good enough then why do you need an alarm?

window cleaners excepted ..... who is going to break in ?

Ralph:cool:

johnmc

Ralph-y wrote:

if the front door is good enough then why do you need an alarm?

window cleaners excepted ..... who is going to break in ?

Try reading your local press.

If they are not bothered about climbing on to a church roof to nick the lead then burglars really will not worry about having to climb up a couple of flights of stairs to jemmy a door.

Good point about a door. Keep it real, though. A decent double glazed door with a steel frame let into the wall is good enough.

bluesnake

Ralph-y wrote: »

this is a second floor flat .............

if the front door is good enough then why do you need an alarm

My friend lived 20 years ago in a council flat in Kilburn on the 5 or 6th floor. One afternoon on the floor below someone got a chain saw (or some mechanical saw) and cut a hole in the door and burgled the place.

Another day in the morning, my friend came out of her bedroom and found a bloke in her hallway whom thankfully scarped quickly.

The place I live, someone tagged each of the individual intercom buttons with paint - until i scrapped the pain off