Who uses their burglar alarm?

[jacko555]

So this isn't a ploy to burgle you...

Those with burglar alarms - who actually uses them?

I never had one until now. It's setup with zones so downstairs is alarned when are are asleep, using a button / key thing.

I played with setting it when leaving the house, but, don't feel comfy with it. Especially if it goes off and we are at work etc.

I guess if you've been burgled (which I haven't) there's more of an incentive.

Wifey doesn't like the sensors, and, the cabling wiring them up is a bit poorly done and visible.

Her vote is to rip it out.

Who here has one and uses it / doesnt use it?

 

[crystal ball]

I think I have seen more unused alarms than used in domestic setting, commercial /industrial tend to be used and serviced regularly

I fitted CCTV to my house this year after an attempted garage break in

 

[ajstoneservices]

Had an alarm for 16 years and still had out buildings robbed 3 times. Put CCTV in and had no further problems.

 

[Mottie]

We don’t put it on at night when we're in - the dog would alert us to anyone trying to get in but we do use ours without fail every time we go out or on holiday and we’ve had it since 1990. We have CCTV too that we can view from anywhere as well as a Ring doorbell. Never been burgled.

 

[JohnD]

yes and yes.

I had one (unsuccessful) attempt to break in, through the garage personal door while I was working away.

The door did not give way, but moved enough to trigger the sensor.

The intruder ran away in such a hurry that he broke a fence panel getting out of the garden.

Possible associates nearby will have noticed the noisy alarm, and (by chance) speedy arrival of a police car (it is a monitored alarm) and security guards.

I had no more attempts.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I put a partially self designed alarm system in, 30 years ago after there were rumours of local break-ins to outbuildings, plus flood lights as it is so dark here. I designed it to cover everything out doors. Never had it triggered. So I stopped bothering after a while. We don't worry too much, I do sometimes forget and leave huts and garage open, never an issue. Separately and for different reasons I added IP CCTV, which does still get some use, usually to watch for deliveries.

A dog is better than any burglar alarm.

 

[JohnD]

A burglar alarm cannot be distracted by a tasty sausage.

 

[whall3y]

Alarm always armed when we go out and downstairs armed at bedtime. CCTV front and rear, and two Blink cameras. Never had a break-in (thankfully).

 

[johnny2007]

Train your dog to bark when someone is at the door and never take any food from strangers.
Put a sign at the door and your friendly burglar will go somewhere else.
No dog?
Then you need an alarm and cctv as a deterrent.

 

[mattylad]

Burnley method of burglary is:
Kick door in.
run in grab what you can
run out.

All before the neighbours notice the sound of an alarm.

 

[ajstoneservices]

A dog is better than any burglar alarm.

A farmer near to us had an alsatian which he kept in the kitchen when going out. The burglars that visited him threw a concrete planter into his living room window and robbed his house.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Train your dog to bark when someone is at the door and never take any food from strangers.
Put a sign at the door and your friendly burglar will go somewhere else.
No dog?
Then you need an alarm and cctv as a deterrent.

She does bark and will not go near anyone she doesn't know. I have a warning sign on the front gate and on the house.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Who reacts to alarms anyway? If I hear an alarm going off I assume it's a false alarm as it usually is. Everyone else in the vicinity is obviously doing the same as no one rushes to investigate the noise.

 

[sodthisforfun]

Who reacts to alarms anyway? If I hear an alarm going off I assume it's a false alarm as it usually is. Everyone else in the vicinity is obviously doing the same as no one rushes to investigate the noise.

Exactly what I was thinking.
I never think 'ooh, my neigbour is being robbed', I tend to think 'arghh, that flipping alarm is going off again'.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Exactly what I was thinking.
I never think 'ooh, my neigbour is being robbed', I tend to think 'arghh, that flipping alarm is going off again'.

Out of the countless times I've heard car or house alarms going off over the years, I can't say I remember any of them being because someone either broke in or attempted to. Suppose that having an alarm may make a burglar choose someone else without one. We've got an alarm that was here when we moved in. Never use it, but the bell boxes front and back may act as a deterrent.