Burglar alarm opinions please.

Boohoo

Hello.


Where i live there have been over 30 break ins and/or attempted in about half mile radius. 2 have been in the same street 40/50 feet away so we are getting worried.
I am after peoples opinions on burglar alarms.
I have seen some Yale wireless ones for under £200 that has siren, control pad, pir's and door sensors.
I have an average size 3 bed semi with upvc doors and windows but some of the door/windor sensors i have seen are flush fitting and my upvc doors open inward so the sensors will no be flush fitting.


I do know a burglar alarm will not stop my home being burgled but would like to what options/opions are out there.


Thank you.

Stevie_Palimo

I find that having a alarm does help to deter would be burglars but having a couple of large dogs works even better along side it.

mattpc

if you can afford it, I would suggest a wired monitored alarm. Don't go with the big boys though as the monthly monitoring charge will be excessive. However, others do it cheaper and offer a good service. A quick google will put you in touch with the right people. We pay £45 per quarter for 24/7 monitoring on our alarm.

I'm not keen on the Yale wireless systems myself. I had one (bought from a DIY store not an ebay special) and I had to get rid of it. It was constantly going off and upsetting myself and the neighbours. The batteries go flat in them and it can be tricky to work out which sensor needs a new battery.

bouicca21

Talk to your local crime prevention officer. If the burglars are opportunist then it's likely that any sort of alarm will put them off.

[Deleted User]

I would definitely second the idea of getting a Crime Prevention Officer to call - we got some great local advice from ours (including the info that a local villain had trained his 2 small children to shin up drain pipes into the small toilet windows at the side of these houses, then come downstairs and let daddy in! So, we no longer leave those open when we go out). He identified the weaknesses in our property such as the garden not being secure - and we now have those strips with little spikes on (Prikka Strips) on the top of the side gate so no-one can climb over them. We also moved our bins as they were too easy for a burglar to use to climb on the garage roof (and then over into the garden). He was also able to give us advice about the kind of alarm that would be sufficient (we got a small local company in and pay them a yearly maintenance charge, and have had no problems with it).

Basically, you have to address all the other weaknesses in your property and then fit the alarm. As he said, burglars are basically lazy and not very bright - so they'll go for the easiest option available (and that's usually the house without an alarm). 99% of burglaries happen because a householder leaves a door or window open - burglars have to have a very good reason to actually break into a house, and risk an alarm (like being able to see things like laptops, etc. through windows - so always put them out of view, even upstairs).

Oh yes, and one of the most important things is to remember to lock your front and back doors at night! Burglars often walk up and down streets trying door handles (I've seen one do it). This is how my neighbour got burgled - she forgot to lock her back door (they stole her car keys and her car which was found burnt out). We have a secondary setting on our alarm which we set before we go to bed, which just alarms all the doors. Works great, except when we have an early morning delivery and forget to turn the alarm off before opening the door .... !!!

Good luck.

[Deleted User]

tony6403 wrote: »

My neigbour's alarm didn't help him when the thieving b@stards used a fishing rod through his letter box and got the keys for his van off the telephone table in his hall.
The police found the fishing rod on my lawn.

Forgot - that was another thing the CPO said - never leave your keys in view from doors/letterboxes or windows. We used to have ours hanging up on a key rack (easily seen from the kitchen window) but they're now all in a drawer.

Cover the basic stuff, as well as an alarm.

Boohoo

Thanks for all the replies.


Most of what has been mentioned i already do.
The neighbour over the road was burgled and they tried the front door and then went round the side gate into garden and "popped" the window to get in.
The 2 houses 24/50 feet away that got done at the same time had trouble getting in so just picked up a paving slab and threw it through the patio door windows so if they want to get in they will.
3 years ago i put up carpet grippers all along my gate/fence at the side of the house and there was break in at a home near me and the PC who came to my house and had a look in the garden for evidence/clues told me to get rid of the carpet grippers as it was an illegal to use them for some reason bit i cant remember what.

[Deleted User]

Boohoo wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.
3 years ago i put up carpet grippers all along my gate/fence at the side of the house and there was break in at a home near me and the PC who came to my house and had a look in the garden for evidence/clues told me to get rid of the carpet grippers as it was an illegal to use them for some reason bit i cant remember what.

As far as I'm aware, it's not illegal if you put a notice up (both sides) to say that to Beware as anti-burglary devices are in place (you can buy them at the same time as the Prikka Strippa). I thought it was a ridiculous thing to do (basically, warn the burglars in advance!) until our window cleaners almost climbed over it whilst we were out, to do the back windows - if the notice hadn't been there, they could have sued us for damages!

[Deleted User]

Boohoo wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.
The neighbour over the road was burgled and they tried the front door and then went round the side gate into garden and "popped" the window to get in.
The 2 houses 24/50 feet away that got done at the same time had trouble getting in so just picked up a paving slab and threw it through the patio door windows so if they want to get in they will.

Interesting that both these are burglars getting in via the garden. Another reason to make sure (for all of us) that back gardens are secure - lots are not overlooked, or neighbours are out all day, so it can make them very vulnerable. That paving stone guy took a hell of a risk so there must have been something valuable inside - either that or he was high.

And thanks for the reminder that we've currently got a pile of bricks in our back garden that were left when our patio doors were fitted. They'd be perfect for breaking a window - might be time to remove those :eek:

Browntoa

people ignore alarms these days , most professionals know that despite tripping an alarm they have 10-15 minutes in the house before the police turn up unless they are every unlucky .


I really don't see the point in an alarm any more these days , a dummy wall box is probably just as effective as a deterrent to an amateur

scottishblondie

We have the Yale wireless alarm system. We didn't install the contact sensors on the doors but have the motion sensors. There haven't been any problems with it so far, and it does give a something of a sense of security. I also like that it calls you if it is set off, and you can hear what is going on in the house through it.

I wouldn't have bothered with it but my parents ended up with a spare one (long story!) so I thought, why not? At the very least having the alarm box visible should deter burglars since there are loads of other houses without alarms right next to us. We also have a lock on the back gate (unlike the other neighbours) so all in all I think we're probably the least likely to be burgled. They would also be very disappointed if they did bother to break in, we have very little worth stealing!!