Consumers : Alarms: Ensuring the Domestic Tranquillity
At $16,000, the home security system Oliver North bought with Contragate funds two years ago cost almost 10 times the $1,750 current average for a professionally installed residential system. But he could have spent a lot more--or a lot less--to purchase peace of mind.
In fact, residential burglaries here have dropped substantially in the last few years--down from 45,621 in 1984 to 34,787 last year, Los Angeles Police Department statistics show.
Nevertheless, the home burglar alarm industry is booming. Residential alarm systems represent the fastest-growing segment of the $6-billion U.S. security industry, which has grown overall by 20% in each of the last two years, according to an industry survey.
At the top end of the market, local installers are rigging up home systems that would trip up James Bond. At the same time, the growing variety of cheaper, do-it-yourself electronic gadgetry readily available at hardware stores is keeping professional installers looking over their shoulders.
Either way, consumers now have access to the sort of technologically sophisticated security devices once reserved for top secret military installations.
Security experts generally agree that there are two important areas for a consumer to consider when devising a system to protect a residence.
First, the perimeter must be protected. Perimeter protection can involve anything from unleashing a dog on the premises to installing bars over every opening and half-inch thick steel plates in the walls, the preferred method of rock cocaine entrepreneurs.
The more sophisticated approach, however, protects a home with devices that detect attempted break-ins.
Ideally, experts agree, every opening should be wired, but a few strategically placed devices will help. Among the types available:
* Magnetic contacts concealed in doors, windows and other openings. When the door or window is opened, an electronic circuit is broken, sounding an alarm.
* Shock sensors and glass breakage sensors detect the vibrations of breaking glass. In elaborate systems, seismic sensors can also be installed that will sound a warning if someone is trying to cut through a wall.
* Electronic sound discriminators detect the sound of breaking glass or splintering wood, filtering out other noises.
* Wired window screens contain metal wires woven into the fiberglass screen fabric and attached to a closed electric circuit. The advantage to these is that windows can be left open, and any attempt to cut or remove the screens will sound the alarm.
Once the perimeter of a house is protected, experts also recommend placing detection devices on the walls, ceilings or floors within the house, in case someone bypasses the perimeter detection devices. Among these “area” devices:
* Microwave detectors emit high frequency radio waves, which detect the motion of a large body into a room.
* Ultrasonic detectors employ the same principle, but utilize sound waves.
* Passive infrared detectors pick up quick temperature changes within a room, such as those that occur when a person enters the area.
* Photoelectric beams, often in a spectrum invisible to the human eye, and sometimes concealed in light switches, sound alarms when the beam between two points is broken.
* Carpet switches, placed beneath rugs or carpeting, detect anyone stepping on them.
* Panic switches, whether portable or mounted, can be used to trigger the alarm system in an emergency.
In most complete systems, these devices are connected with a central command center to which the homeowner has access via a password. Usually, the devices are hooked up to alarms in and out of the house, the goal of which is to scare the thief off and alert the resident and neighbors. Most experts, however, recommend that the alarms also be connected to a central monitoring station which will either send a private patrol or notify the police.
Because about 95% of all alarms to which the Los Angeles Police Department responded were false, on July 1, the department instituted a “no permit, no dispatch,” policy, said detective Jim Dillon of the Los Angeles Police Commission.
That means the police will only respond to homes that have obtained a $31 yearly permit, and on the fifth and all subsequent false alarms in a 12-month period, the homeowner will be billed $65. Systems monitored by a security agency that dispatches its own patrol personnel must have permits, but are exempt from the fee.
Experts agree that most of these devices can be purchased at electronics or hardware stores and installed by the consumer. Ron Spiller, general manager of a security-device manufacturing company and secretary of the Security Equipment Industry Assn., said that an effective do-it-yourself system can be installed for about $500.
Installed by professionals, a security system will cost about $3,500 for a 3,000-square-foot house, and most security firms charge about $25 a month for monitoring.
Security companies in California are licensed by the state Bureau of Consumer Affairs, and questions or complaints can be directed to that agency at (916) 739-3028.
The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Assn. recommends that consumers shop for the right agency to install their devices, get more than one estimate, and wait a day or so before signing a contract for installation and service. The organization offers an explanatory booklet “Considerations When Looking for a Burglar Alarm System,” ($2, National Burglar and Fire Alarm Assn., 1120 19th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036). Another good resource is “The Complete Guide to Home and Auto Burglar Alarms” by Doug Kirkpatrick, ($12.95, Baker Publishing, P.O. Box 8322, Van Nuys, Calif. 91343).
Tips on Prevention
For a broader look at home security, ex-convict Ray Johnson, who served time for burglary, offers tips on crime prevention in the video “Complete Guide to Home Security” ($29.95, Winning Visions Inc. (800) 692-4000.
One study showed that just expressing “territoriality” by maintaining a well-kept home creates a psychological deterrent that reduces burglaries, and Neighborhood Watch-type programs are credited with substantial reductions in break-ins. The Los Angeles Police Department’s centralized Crime Prevention Unit (213) 485-3134 offers information on how to set up such a group in any of the department’s 18 divisions.
Finally, fake alarms and decals that announce security systems where none exist are sold in various electronics catalogues. Even these might discourage some amateur burglars, experts say, while the best pros may be able to circumvent the most elaborate professional system.
