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There are measures you can take to secure your home that are more effective—and
much less costly—than installing an alarm system: secure all doors with
good deadbolt locks, secure windows that are accessible froam the outside,
set up lighting systems that deter burglars, and generally do what you
can to improve your habits as they affect home security. Key habits include
consistently locking doors and keeping track of keys, getting your newspapers
and mail picked up when you are away, and keeping valuable items out of
sight.
An alarm system will also add to the security of your home. But getting
one may not be worth the cost if—
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You live in a very low-crime neighborhood.
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Your house is well secured physically (with locks and other measures).
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There is almost always someone at home.
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You have neighbors who will keep an eye on your house and call the police
in the event of suspicious activity.
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You have little of substantial value that could be stolen and you have
good insurance coverage.
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You don’t worry much about break-ins.
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You would be likely to have frequent false alarms triggered by children,
houseguests, or others.
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The inconvenience of setting the alarm and avoiding false alarms might
cause you not to use it consistently.
If you decide you want an alarm system, choosing a good installer is essential
to having the system be effective, convenient, and unobtrusive; to keeping
problems of false alarms to a minimum; and to keeping down costs. You will
find ratings of area alarm system installation companies, many of which
serve all or a large portion of the Delaware Valley area, on our Ratings Tables. You will see that some firms were twice as likely as others to
get top service quality ratings from their surveyed customers.
You will do well to have several firms come to your home to propose system
designs and give price quotes. Some will be much better than others in
designing a system that meets your needs conveniently and at a reasonable
cost. Even for the same basic design, you will find substantial price differences.
For one job for which our shoppers got quotes, prices ranged from $1,089
to $3,115.
In getting price quotes for a system that will have central station monitoring,
be sure to take into account the monitoring cost. Some installers will
lock you into using their monitoring services for three or five years or
more.
Don’t agree to pay more than half of the cost of a system installation
before the work begins. It is best to arrange to hold back at least half
of the payment until two weeks or a month after the system is up and running
so you can see if you need any fix-ups to make the system work right.
Maybe it was watching the late-night rerun of that Hannibal Lechter movie
(why do they always show that stuff late at night?). Or maybe it was the
latest rundown of crime on the local news (can’t they find anything pleasant
to put into half an hour?). Whatever, you’re feeling a bit edgy. And you
would like to know that when you turn off the lights and go to bed, you’ll
be safe.
Actually, the chances of having your home broken into are slim—only about
one in fifty American homes is broken into each year. But over time, the
odds do add up. And given the financial, physical, and psychological damage
that can result from a burglary, it makes sense to do what you can to become
more secure.
For millions of American households, one component of a home security plan
is an electronic alarm system. There is evidence that these systems do
make a difference: it is estimated that homes with a security system are
about one-third as likely to be burglarized as homes without one. Part
of this difference no doubt has to do with the specifics of location and
with other protections alarmed homes have in place, but there is little
doubt that electronic alarm systems matter. In addition, these systems
can help prevent fire damage, and some systems can alert you or a central
monitoring agency to power outages, water leaks, and other problems.
One indicator of the effectiveness of alarm systems is the discounts homeowners
insurance companies give households that have them. Many insurers offer
discounts of two to five percent for systems with an outdoor siren and
10 to 15 percent for systems with central station monitoring for both burglary
and fire.
In this article, we report on our evaluation of alarm system installers
and our price comparison of central station monitoring companies, and we
describe alarm system features to be aware of when hiring a contractor.
We also discuss many other home security improvements you can make that
may be more important and much less expensive than an alarm system. In
the “Your Home” section of our website, you will find a report on locks
and locksmiths..
Before investing in an electronic home security system you should first
take a step back and evaluate your home’s overall security. There are many
measures you can take that will cost much less than an alarm system, but
will likely do just as much good.
Almost all intruders are male. It is estimated that over one-third are
unpredictable youths. Only a very small portion of burglaries are conducted
by professionals who are capable of picking locks and circumventing alarm
systems.
It is commonly believed that illegal intrusions into homes are primarily
a summer risk, but the data indicate that rates vary up or down by less
than 10 percent from month to month. It is widely presumed that intrusions
occur predominantly at night, but the statistics show that somewhat more
than half occur during the day. It is assumed that intrusions are achieved
by forcing doors open or breaking windows, but most are through unlocked
doors and windows, or with the unauthorized use of a key. It is often thought
that intruders are strangers, but ex-spouses, relatives, and acquaintances
comprise a significant portion.
The most common points of entry are exterior doors and ground-level windows,
sliding glass doors, doors to an attached garage, and basement windows.
The most common modes of entry, listed in order of frequency, are by opening
unlocked doors and windows, lifting sliding glass doors off their tracks,
prying locked doors and windows, and breaking the glass in a door or window
to reach the lock. Very few intruders will enter through broken glass when
unable to release a lock. They prefer visual obscurity, silence, easy entry,
and quick exits.
Despite the best precautions, there is a chance that your home will be
penetrated. Homeowners and renters insurance policies do not provide reimbursement
for personal injuries suffered in assaults, but they do cover property
losses during burglaries. The total coverage limit for personal possessions
is normally 50 to 75 percent of the coverage on the dwelling, but certain
things, such as jewelry, silver, cash, computers, and guns are usually
covered at very low limits. In addition, unless you purchase a replacement
cost provision, homeowners insurance policies will cover only the “market
value” of personal property rather than its “replacement value.” Market
value is defined as the replacement cost minus depreciation.
Insurance companies offer the option of covering the full replacement cost
(without deduction of depreciation) for about 15 percent more than the
standard policy. If burglars clean out your home, coverage for full replacement
cost could save you thousands of dollars. Most companies also offer riders,
extending the coverage on items such as jewelry that would otherwise be
subject to low limits.
(See our article in the “Your Home” section of our website for more information
on insuring your home.)
In cases of major losses from burglary or fire, an inventory list could
be a big help. Ideally the inventory should briefly describe each possession,
list its purchase date, and record its cost. Unless you have taken a vow
of poverty, that will require days to prepare. An alternative is to list
expensive items, and record counts of smaller items—for example, “12 miscellaneous
cooking utensils.” If you should have to file a claim, that list would
be a big help in jogging your memory for the additional details that your
insurance company might request. You might find it convenient simply to
make a video of personal items, using a camcorder and dictating details
about each item as you record its video image.
If you have antiques, expensive jewelry, original paintings, or other things
of substantial value for which value is hard to prove without authentication,
get a written appraisal of them. Check with your insurance agent first
so that you use an appraiser acceptable to the insurance company.
Specifically tell the appraiser that you want the evaluation for insurance
purposes. Some appraisers are also dealers. If they think you have an interest
in selling the articles, they might be tempted to provide a low estimate
of the value.
Copies of the inventory, video, and appraisals should be kept in a secure
place outside your home, such as a safe deposit box or a friend’s house.
Appraisals show your name and address, so in the wrong hands they can invite
burglary. Remember to update the inventory every couple of years.
A good start in the battle against intruders is a security audit of your
home. Most area police departments provide such services. Call your local
police station and ask for the crime prevention or community services unit.
Ask for an officer to come to your home to assess its vulnerabilities and
recommend additional security measures. There is no charge for the service
and evening appointments usually can be arranged.
Many experts recommend participating in “Operation Identification.” This
involves engraving an identification number on your valuables and putting
a decal in your window. The decal might deter potential intruders because
clearly marked items are harder to sell. Although only about 10 percent
of burglarized homes recover any of the stolen items, your chances are
better with positive identification. Most police departments recommend
that the engraved number be your state initials and driver’s license number.
Metal engravers can be purchased for $15 to $25 from hobby shops and hardware
stores. Many police stations or public libraries also lend them. Call first
to make sure one is available. The point of a large nail or a kitchen knife
will work as an engraver on wood, plastic, and aluminum. But on steel,
such devices make a shallow score that can be obliterated with thirty seconds
of sandpapering.
There are also ways of “fingerprinting” fine art, jewelry, and other items
without damaging them. An appraiser or jeweler can provide more information.
Almost every household opens its front door to strangers and near-strangers
each week. There are children selling cookies and candy, local delivery
persons, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and various others. To the extent that
you can do so conveniently, it is advisable to place articles of ostensible
value out of the view of anyone at your open door.
The layout of some houses makes it easy for strangers walking along the
sidewalk to look through your windows. Keep your valuables out of the line
of sight.
When tradespeople are working in your home, there is always some risk.
They are unlikely to take anything the absence of which would be noticeable,
but a single piece of jewelry from a full box might not be missed until
months later. Small valuables should always be hidden away.
One of the most effective and least costly ways to protect all the homes
in a neighborhood is for community members to get involved in crime prevention
efforts. Involvement can range from keeping an eye out for suspicious activity
as neighbors go about daily life to setting up shifts for neighbors to
patrol on foot.
An organized approach is to set up a Neighborhood Watch group. A group
might cover a single block that consists of 10 or 12 houses or might cover
dozens of streets with 1,000 houses.
Neighborhood Watch groups usually have a way set up to exchange information
among members. Typically there are leaders, or “Block Captains,” who remain
in contact with local police officers and neighbors to create a catalog
of activity occurring in the neighborhood. The information may be made
available to members through a newsletter or via e-mail.
Neighborhood Watch groups all begin in about the same way. Police officers
are sent to the neighborhood to meet with residents and train them on security
measures, what to look for in the way of “suspicious activity,” and how
to keep in contact with the police. Neighbors also are asked to decide
the geographical boundaries of their “neighborhood.” After these initial
steps, it’s generally up to Block Captains and residents to keep the ball
rolling.
Members typically develop a map of the neighborhood listing addresses and
phone numbers of group members, distribute crime alert information, and
regularly welcome new neighbors into the group. Some Neighborhood Watch
groups bond further with regular meetings and social events.
Some neighborhoods go a step beyond Neighborhood Watch activities. In recent
years, “citizen patrol” groups have become a popular way for residents
to participate in crime prevention. They often work closely with Neighborhood
Watch groups or originate from them. Citizen patrol groups usually are
comprised of a cadre of volunteers who walk or drive a designated area
looking for suspicious activity and report it to police officers. Some
patrollers carry cell phones, either phones they own personally or phones
donated by cell phone companies for this specific purpose (usually there
is a block on all outgoing calls except 911).
Most intruders are intent on burglary and prefer to strike when no one
is home, so it’s a good idea to create the appearance that your house is
occupied.
When You Are Away During the Day or Evening
1. Leave a radio or television on. Silence in your house during the day
suggests that it is unoccupied.
2. Don’t let your phone ring for a long time. Either turn down the ringer
or reset the number of rings before it rolls over into voicemail or your
answering machine picks up. A long-ringing phone broadcasts to passersby
and prowlers that you are not home.
3. Consider removing your address from telephone listings—so that only your
name and phone number appear. There is no extra charge to do this. If you
have such a listing, anyone who dials random numbers looking for unoccupied
homes will not know your address. Similarly someone who cases the neighborhood
and learns your name from the mailbox will not know for sure your phone
number. An alternative is an “unlisted” phone number: your name, address,
and phone number are left out of the phone directory entirely, but the
number is provided when requested from directory assistance. Phone services
usually charge a small fee for this arrangement. Another option is a “non-published”
number, which means your name, address, and phone number are left out of
the directory and the number is not given out by directory assistance.
4. Always leave your garage door closed. An open door with no car indicates
that at least some of the occupants are away.
5. Plug a light or two into timers. The timers should turn the lights on
at dusk, and off at your bedtime.
When You Are on Vacation
6. Be sure your newspapers and mail do not pile up. Have a neighbor check
your mailbox every day and pick up anything left on the porch. You might
want to have mail and newspaper deliveries stopped, but these stops reveal
your absence to several persons in the post office and at the newspaper.
7. Arrange for your lawn to be mowed during the summer and for your sidewalk
to be shoveled during the winter. After new snow falls, have a neighbor
traipse from the street to your front door a couple of times. Also arrange
for your yard to be watered if that’s likely to be needed.
8. Have a neighbor with a second car park it in your driveway.
9. Ask a neighbor to put part of his or her garbage in your garbage cans.
10. Leave blinds, shades, and curtains closed unless that is a marked departure
from your normal pattern. Even then it might be wise to close off a window
that is particularly vulnerable to observation while leaving the rest of
the curtains open.
11. Do not let more people than necessary know you are leaving.
12. As an alternative to 6 through 11 above, get a trusted housesitter.
Timers
There are at least three kinds of timers that you can use to turn lights
and appliances on and off when you are not home. The simplest and least
expensive is a device that plugs into your electrical outlets and into
which the light or appliance is plugged. Some turn on and off only once
in 24 hours, some will turn on and off several times in 24 hours, and some
have a random factor built in so that the device turns on and off at somewhat
different times each day. These timers generally cost $5 to $20 each and
are available at many hardware stores.
The second type of timer is similar to the first, but is installed in an
electrical switch or outlet box. It controls whatever lights are connected
to the box. Installation is not a difficult job for anyone who is experienced
with simple household wiring tasks. These timers typically cost $35 to
$60 and are available at some hardware stores and most electrical equipment
suppliers. Some come with a photoelectric cell that turns the lights on
at dusk and off at a time you specify.
The third type of timer is considerably more sophisticated. It uses a central
unit and several remote units. Each remote unit is plugged into an electrical
outlet, and the controlled light or appliance is plugged into it. The central
unit is also plugged into an electrical outlet and communicates with the
remote units using “line carrier technology” over the existing wiring in
the house. The advantage of this equipment is that it can be programmed
to turn each controlled device on and off several times in an evening,
giving your house the appearance of being occupied by a full family. The
disadvantage is the cost—about $100 for the controller and a few remote
units.
Intruders prefer to invade unseen. They favor entrances through doors and
windows hidden by garages, bushes, fences, and trees. As much as convenient,
you want the areas around your doors and windows to be seen easily from
the street, by your neighbors, and from within your house.
If that would be unattractive, consider replacing current foliage with
thorny varieties planted close to the side of the house so prowlers won’t
hide behind them. The most recent ratings of garden nurseries can be found
in the “Your Home” section of our website.
Large trees sometimes provide access to a window, or more often to a porch
roof from which a window can be reached. Consider pruning them.
A high fence is a double-edged sword. It can increase the difficulty of
entrance and exit, but it also can hide an intruder from the view of people
nearby. If you have one, keep the gate locked so the intruder knows the
fence will slow his escape.
If crowbars, hand tools, or yard tools are laying loose outside the house
or in open garages, you are inviting trouble. Any implements that can be
used for prying or bashing should be kept locked up. Ladders also should
be secured. If they won’t fit in a locked garage or tool shed, use a chain
to padlock them to a tree, fence, or other immovable object. Ask your neighbors
to secure their tools, too.
Most nighttime prowlers will flee if indoor lights are flicked on, but
bold ones might hide where you can’t see them and wait until you go back
to sleep. On the other hand, an outside light will send all but the nerviest
on their way.
Outdoor lights can be used to illuminate the exterior walls of the whole
house or to illuminate just a few vulnerable areas. In either case, they
can be for all-night operation or only when a prowler is thought to be
around. Some incorporate a heat and motion detector that turns the lights
on whenever someone approaches within about 25 feet of the lights.
For the greatest security, the external lights should have break-proof
lenses, strong mountings, hidden wiring, and tamper alarms. Security lights
are available at some hardware stores, electrical equipment suppliers,
and locksmith shops.
Professional installation of a security light system around an entire house
will cost $1,000 to $2,000 and will add about $35 to $50 a month to your
electrical bill. A do-it-yourself installation at one point of vulnerability
may cost less than $175. Unsecured outdoor lights can be set up with outdoor
sockets (which usually take incandescent reflector lamps) for much less,
but a careful intruder may unscrew the bulbs before attacking the house.
Any outdoor light or lighting system intended to assist in security should
have the switch in a convenient location away from the light. Who wants
to walk all the way to the basement door to turn on a light when a prowler
is trying to break through that door?
The roads leading into several affluent communities have signs proclaiming:
“Warning: Houses in this community are protected by an integrated alarm
system.” Sometimes it’s a bluff.
Another approach is to post a “Beware of Dog” sign at the front entrance
of your house, even if you have no dog. For those who want the bark but
not the dog, some companies offer electronic dog barkers. These devices
emit a bark for a few seconds when they are triggered. They can be equipped
with a vibration detector that hangs on a doorknob so that if the door
is rattled, the dog barks. They can also be attached to motion detectors
outside the house. They cost about $60 to $100, depending on the style.
Most alarm systems come with decals for your doors or windows indicating
that the home is “alarmed.” Some homeowners purchase fake decals instead
of an expensive alarm system. But be aware that bluffing with such signs
or decals has some risks, since knowledgeable burglars claim they can identify
the fakes. Also, in neighborhoods where most of the houses do not have
alarm decals, having one on your house may attract intruders by suggesting
your house has more things of value than the surrounding ones, without
providing the protection of a real alarm system.
One of the oldest deterrents against intruders is the dog.
There are several levels of canine protection. The first is the family
pet with no particular training in sounding an alert. Performance varies
tremendously, depending on the breed of dog and its genealogy, sex, individual
idiosyncrasies, and life experiences. Dobermans and German Shepherds get
a lot of respect from intruders. A concern, of course, is that a dog will
be “trigger happy” and attack innocent strangers, your neighbors, and their
children.
A second level is a dog that has been specifically trained to bark at strangers
but not attack. This will usually require the assistance of a professional
trainer. A third level is a personal protection dog. These dogs are professionally
trained to attack on command or when they think their master is being assaulted.
Unfortunately, most dogs, even after such training, are not good at distinguishing
between a friendly slap on the back and a real assault. Many are unreliable
except when handled by their masters.
Since most illegal entries into homes are by way of doors and windows,
you’ll want to make access through them difficult. Intruders prefer unlocked
doors or windows. Many, however, will attempt to pry open locked ones,
because this is simple, quick, and almost silent. Some will even break
a pane of glass and reach in to unlock the window or door. Only a few really
determined ones, however, will break out enough glass to walk or crawl
through, or bash in a well-secured door; the picking of locks is rare.
Having good locks is essential. The article in the “Your Home” section
of our website tells you what types of locks to get and how to find a locksmith
to install them.
The locks on sliding glass doors are notoriously flimsy, and many of these
doors can be lifted right off the track by someone on the outside. If you
have a sliding glass door, you might want to pay a locksmith to evaluate
its vulnerability and install needed reinforcements.
Figure 1 shows several do-it-yourself ways to secure sliding glass doors.
One door is usually fixed (screwed or bolted at several points to the track).
If so, you only have to worry about the other door. A pry bar attack can
be resisted with a broomstick or piece of lumber placed in the lower track
so that the door cannot slide open. There are aluminum “Charlie bars” designed
to be mounted waist high to function in the same manner. Well-designed
ones require moving one or two parts before they can be lowered. This makes
them somewhat more resistant to a persistent intruder than the wood in
the track. They cost $8 to $10 at hardware stores and locksmith shops.
Figure 1—Securing Sliding Glass Doors
If both doors slide, they can be secured by drilling two 9/32-inch holes
where their frames overlap at the top and bottom. Drill through the inside
door’s frame and half-way into the outside door’s frame, then insert 1/4-inch
bolts in the holes. (See Figure 1.) This will prevent prying the doors
open and impede efforts to lift the doors off the track because the doors
are heavy and lifting two of them at once is difficult. The danger in this
approach is that if your drill hits the glass, the glass may break. Usually
the glass extends into the frame less than one-half inch, but it is best
to position the hole as far from the glass as possible while keeping the
drill perpendicular to the door.
A simple approach that will usually prevent a sliding door from being lifted
off the track is to open it fully, drill vertical holes through the overhead
track every 12 inches or so, and drive screws into these holes just far
enough so that the doors will slide under their heads but can’t be lifted
off the track. (See Figure 2.) Before trying this, use a pencil or piece
of wire to feel whether the top of the door frame is solid or hollow. This
approach will not work on some hollow frames.
Figure 2—Using Screws to Prevent Sliding Doors from Being Lifted
Hinged doors are much safer than sliding glass doors, but even if a door
is securely locked, an intruder may go through it.
If it is a hollow wood door, it probably is made of two 1/8-inch sheets
of plywood with cardboard spacers in between. You don’t have to be Jackie
Chan to punch through that. In addition, if the door opens outward, the
hinge pins will be on the outside and most can be pulled out with a pair
of pliers.
Your exterior doors should be solid wood (usually plywood surfaces with
wood planks inside) or foam-filled steel. If they do not open inward, the
hinges should have non-removable pins. The hinges also should be installed
so that the screws attaching them to the door and frame cannot be removed
when the door is closed. The doors should fit snugly within the door frame
so that there is not more than a 1/16-inch gap on either side.
If you replace a glass door with a wooden one, you do not have to forgo
a view of whoever has rung your doorbell. Wide-angle peepholes are available.
Before buying one, look through it at objects two feet to five feet away.
It should give you clear focus and a view that is at least as wide as the
distance. Such peepholes cost $3 to $10 at hardware stores and locksmith
shops.
The last word in door security is heavy-duty steel doors in steel frames,
with high-security locks. These will cost you $800 to $2,000 installed.
A step down is iron bar doors installed a few inches outside an existing
door. On a brick or concrete block structure, they are generally time-consuming
and noisy to defeat. On a wood frame house their resistance to attack depends
on the strength of the framing to which they are attached. Iron bar doors
are usually installed along with bars over the windows. The simplest kind
makes your place look like a prison. But some fabricators make attractive,
decorative ones, and a few custom-build them as individual pieces of art.
These doors typically cost $400 to $1,200 when professionally installed.
Intruders love unlocked garages that are attached to the house. They enter
the garage, close the entrance door, and then work at getting through the
door to the house without fear of being seen. They can even make noise
without raising the suspicions of neighbors and passers-by.
The standard twist handle lock on overhead garage doors often is easily
defeated. Most electric door openers provide more resistance. They cost
$150 to $300; Consumer Reports regularly rates electric openers. Even these
openers may yield to a crowbar attack, so a backup lock is a good idea
at night and when nobody is at home. The doors can be secured inexpensively
from the inside by drilling holes in the track on each side just above
the closed door and putting U-bolts or padlocks through the holes. This
arrangement permits the door to be secured only from inside the garage
when the door is closed.
Alternatively, the door can be secured from the outside, usually with a
“right-angle hasp” and padlock. (See Figure 3.) These hasps cost $2 to
$15 and are available from locksmith shops and some hardware stores.
Figure 2—Using Screws to Prevent Sliding Doors from Being Lifted
Figure 3—Hasp
Intruders’ preferences for entrance from a hidden position lead them to
favor not only attached garages, but attached utility rooms and enclosed
porches. Try to make it difficult for anyone to get inside these; and if
that is not possible, make sure the door to the house is a solid-core one
with reinforced locks.
Another common means of invading your home is with an unauthorized key—not
one painstakingly made by the intruder, but rather one found under your
doormat or on top of an adjacent window frame; or one kept by a contractor;
or one held by a friend of the prior occupant; or one made from a key loaned
to a plumber or a since-dismissed housekeeper; or one found on a key ring
with an ID tag giving your name and phone number; or one made by a parking
lot attendant.
These threats are easily guarded against. Don’t hide a spare door key anywhere
that is obvious, which means any place that is convenient. Instead, give
a spare to a trusted neighbor. Or put an unmarked spare key and some marbles
and other children’s trinkets in a jar or can and bury it by a permanent
landmark.
Upon moving into any house or apartment, have all the lock cylinders replaced
or re-keyed. If you must give a house key to anyone not fully trusted,
install restricted key cylinders in the doors that they will be using.
Restricted keys require unusual key blanks and special key-cutting equipment
not widely available, and duplicates are to be made only with the written
authorization of the homeowner.
Never put identification on your key ring. Even a phone number is risky
because someone might be able to get your address by doing a reverse match.
Five kinds of windows are common. Double-hung (sash) windows open vertically.
Sometimes the top half is fixed and sometimes not. The frames may be wood,
vinyl, or metal. Horizontal sliders are like small sliding glass doors.
They usually have aluminum frames. Casement windows swing outward, usually
opened and closed by a lever attached to a geared hand crank. Jalousie
windows are a series of panes about four inches wide that are set in aluminum
frames interconnected by levers. Fixed pane windows do not open.
To secure a window, you must make it resistant to being pried open. In
addition, you will want to make it difficult to open the window frame after
a pane of glass has been broken. Most intruders are not keen on breaking
glass, but it happens often enough to justify concern. For the highest
level of protection, the window should have unbreakable glazing or steel
bars across it.
Security Devices
Of all the common household windows, the most difficult to secure is the
jalousie. Even when closed tight, it is often possible for someone on the
outside to remove a pane with very little noise. If you have this type
of window anywhere an intruder could reach, consider replacing it, putting
bars over it, or attaching an alarm to it. Casement windows often will
withstand a prying attack when closed. The geared hand crank mechanism
resists prying and most have an additional lock on the window frame. When
the windows are open a few inches, however, it is easy for someone to reach
in and turn the hand crank until the window is fully open. You can make
that more difficult by removing the handle, but anyone could substitute
a pair of pliers for the hand crank. If you have a casement window at the
ground level and commonly leave it partially open, you should back it up
with bars or cover it with an alarm screen.
The locks on horizontal sliders are often flimsy and can be snapped with
gentle prying. Auxiliary locks for these windows include small devices
that clamp onto the track or bolt through it. The former may not be resistant
to prying and the latter generally are not suitable for securing the window
in a partially open position because the attacker can reach through the
opening and remove the bolt.
A homemade stop that works well on some frames is to drill a 1/4-inch hole
through the inside rung of the bottom track, then place a small padlock
through the hole. The hole could be drilled as much as five inches away
from the fully closed position and still preclude an intruder from entering
when opened. Figure 4 shows this approach.
Figure 4—Securing Sliding Windows
Double-hung windows are relatively easy to secure, but many commonly available
locks are not effective. A simple way to secure this type of window is
to pin the two frames together as shown in Figure 5. Drill a 9/32-inch
hole on each side where the lower and upper frame overlap. Drill entirely
through the inner frame and three-fourths the way through the outer frame.
Use a 1/4-inch bolt as the pin. To allow your window to be left open some,
a second hole can be drilled as much as five inches up from the fully closed
position. Unfortunately, such pins can be easily removed by an intruder
after he breaks the glass, if he realizes they are there. Also, with the
windows in the partially opened position, an intruder with a stick might
be able to reach in and knock out the pins.
Figure 5—Securing Double-Hung Windows with Pins
The same basic arrangement, using smaller diameter holes and two-inch,
#14 screws, would require the intruder to have a screwdriver and patience.
You can even get screws with strange heads that cannot be removed without
a special socket.
More or Better Glazing
Storm windows add some security when they are fully closed. Although their
locks and frames are flimsy, an effort to pry one open will sometimes break
the glass, creating a warning noise.
The next level up in window security is the addition of impact-resistant
glazing. There are two types of material commonly used—clear acrylic plastic
and clear polycarbonate plastic. The best-known brand of the former is
Plexiglas and the best-known brand of the latter is Lexan, but there are
several other comparable products.
For moderate sized windows, the acrylic should be 1/4-inch thick; the polycarbonate
is stronger and can be only 3/16-inch thick. A premium grade of acrylic
is available, is virtually free of visual distortion, and is more resistant
to abrasion during cleaning. The polycarbonate will weigh less. These materials
cost $2 to $5.50 per square foot. They are available from outlets listed
in the Yellow Pages under “Plastics—Rods, Tubes, Sheets, Etc.—Supply Centers.”
Make sure to mount these glazing materials according to instructions from
the manufacturer. Temperature increases make them expand more than glass,
and if they are not mounted strongly, an intruder might bash the entire
pane out of the window frame.
Unfortunately, plastics are subject to scratching and slight losses of
transparency. At considerably greater cost, you can have particularly vulnerable
windows professionally replaced with the type of glass that is used in
automobile windshields. This glass is not difficult to break but is difficult
to remove.
Bars
The ultimate in window protection is protective iron bars. These bars (also
called grates and grills) come in straight prison issue and in various
decorative versions. Most are fully welded on a semi-custom basis by local
installers who do not sell them for do-it-yourself installation.
Hardware stores, however, often stock bar sets that can be adjusted in
size to fit your windows. These usually come in several heights and expand
up to 42 inches wide. These bars cost $20 to $80. They are not as resistant
to attack as fully welded bars, but if properly installed they will discourage
all but determined intruders. Some hardware stores have begun to stock
fully welded window bars. The selection is limited and may not be suitable
for your windows. If the width doesn’t fit exactly, the fasteners will
be vulnerable to cutting by a hacksaw blade.
Both the expandable bars and the fully welded ones should be installed
with large one-way screws—or with carriage bolts if they are punched with
square holes and if the nuts would not be accessible to the intruder (see
Figure 6). The former are available at locksmith shops and some hardware
stores; the latter are widely available at hardware stores.
Figure 6—Hasp Fasteners
Custom-fashioned bars vary not only in their decorative patterns but also
in quality. Some are heavier gauge than others. Some put the “pickets”
(vertical bars) through holes in the spreaders (horizontal bars); this
is stronger than just welding them to the side of the spreader. Some have
better welding than others. Some have more coats of paint than others.
And some are attached to the wall more securely than others.
Be sure to check the means that will be used to attach the bars to the
house. They should be attached with bolts or screws positioned parallel
to the wall. (See Figure 7.) The bolts or screws should then be welded
to the bars. With this installation, it is very difficult to remove the
fasteners. It is also very difficult to pry the bars off, because prying
away from one wall tends to push the whole bar assembly against the other
wall.
Figure 7—Steel Window Bars with Installation Bolts or Screws Parallel to
Wall
Professionally installed, fully welded bars cost about $100 to $300 for
a 30" by 60" window, if you get several at a time. They are available from
firms listed under “Iron Work” in the Yellow Pages.
Emergency Escape
Metal bars on windows or doors, or difficult-to-remove locking devices
(such as screws in window frames) pose hazards in the event of fire. Most
building codes specify that any sleeping room without an exterior door
should have an easily opened window. There are window bars with hinges
on one side and a lock on the other side, but they are risky because the
keys can easily be misplaced. A safer solution is hinged bars that have
an extended mechanical latch release that cannot be reached by anyone outside
the bars, but can be easily operated by someone inside the room.
If windows are secured with screws, all occupants should know that an escape
through the window will require knocking out the glass, placing a blanket
or other padding on the bottom frame, and climbing out carefully. Even
then, escape through broken glass will be hazardous.
If your doors and windows are taken care of, you have secured against 95
percent of all entries. But once you have gone to that trouble, you’ll
be distressed if a burglar comes in through an attic hatch, or your skylight,
or after removing a window air conditioner.
If someone can conceivably get into your attic from the outside, lock the
attic hatch or door. Most skylights are now plastic instead of glass, but
the plastic is usually thin and can easily be broken. Consider adding steel
bars or shatter-resistant glazing across the skylight box.
Small window air conditioners usually can be removed easily from the outside.
Often the window can be raised. If not, the unit sometimes can be pushed
in, or lifted up at the back and pivoted out from under the window frame.
The first precaution to take with window A/C units is to secure the partly
raised window frame tight against the A/C case, by pinning or screwing
the frames together in the same manner as shown in Figure 5. Pivot attacks
often can be resisted by filling any gap between the bottom of the case
and the windowsill with lumber. The easiest precaution against pushing
attacks often is to screw a piece of lumber to the top of the windowsill.
The aesthetics can be improved if the board extends fully from one side
of the frame to the other and is painted the same color as the sill.
Despite good physical barriers, it is always possible that the intruder
will make it past your perimeter. If you face this possibility squarely,
there are several things you can do to protect yourself.
A telephone in your bedroom can be a real asset. Most of us spend at least
a third of our lives there, and about half of the time spent at home. If
your house is invaded while you are in the bedroom, you will want to call
for the police from there, not from the living room or kitchen or wherever
your phone is located. You may also want to put a solid core door and heavy
lock on your bedroom entrance. Single individuals and childless couples
can then sleep with the door locked. Adults with children would not, but
they could retrieve the kids and lock the door when an intrusion is underway.
Safes are a way of providing secondary security against burglary and fire.
Small fire-resistant ones (with about one cubic foot of storage space)
cost $140 to $200 at office supply discounters and hardware stores. A safe-cracker
can open these units, but most other burglars will not be able to. They
weigh 60 to 100 pounds and can be screwed to the floor, so they are not
likely to be carried off. High security safes are also available, but they
cost much more.
There are other ways to secure your possessions inside your home. Cash
and expensive jewelry can be hidden in an unlikely container—for example,
in a large manila envelope, among many in a file of papers, in the toe
of a shoe, at the bottom of a bag of thread and sewing materials, or in
a hollowed-out book. Make sure to select a container you and others are
not likely to throw away without checking for valuables.
Another option for securing possessions of considerable value is a safe
deposit box, available at many banks. Off-site storage is an inconvenience,
but it provides a level of security against theft and fire that you cannot
duplicate within your home for less than several thousand dollars. A small
safe deposit box for storing critical papers and expensive jewelry costs
only $40 to $60 per year at local banks.
Burglaries are a major source of guns for criminals. Each year over 300,000
are reported stolen. Gun trigger locks prevent accidental shootings, but
do not prevent the guns from being carried off and the locks later removed.
Guns should be stored in locked gun boxes or gun racks that are not easily
removed from the premises. The boxes and racks should be bolted to solid
timber or secured with several three-inch, #14 screws.
Someone who keeps a gun for personal protection may be reluctant to lock
it up because that slows access to the gun in an emergency. One solution
to this dilemma is a “Simplex” lock. These locks have five buttons that
must be pressed in a specific order to open the lock. This can be done
quickly, and even in the dark. Steel gun boxes with Simplex locks cost
about $150 to $200. Another option is to keep a gun locked up when you
are away from home and then unlocked when you’re at home. But that does
not assure that children won’t get their hands on it.
You may want to supplement your fortifications with an alarm system.
Home alarm systems provide protection in several ways. They will notify
you if doors or windows have inadvertently been left open. Evidence of
their presence—even the possibility of their presence—will deter some intruders.
The sounding of an alarm will cause most intruders to flee. The alarm will
notify occupants of a present danger. The sounding of an outside siren
will notify your neighbors to call the police, while systems hooked up
to a central monitoring station will notify police even if neighbors are
not at home.
Burglar alarm systems should not be confused with portable self-contained
alarm devices that are placed on a single door or detect motion in one
room. These devices can be found in some electronics and hardware stores,
ranging in price from about $10 to $100. They may be suitable for high-rise
apartments with inaccessible windows, or for hotel rooms when traveling,
but they will not provide much protection for houses.
The amount of protection provided by a burglar alarm system will depend
on the extent to which you have secured the physical perimeter of the house,
the design of the alarm system, the quality of the installation, and how
often you leave the system in operation.
Basic alarm protection for a house should cover all exterior doors (including
sliding glass doors) and any windows that are easily reached by intruders.
The system should activate an external siren and/or notify a central monitoring
station. Professional installation of a system meeting these criteria will
usually cost $800 to $2,000.
Moderately heavy alarm protection will cover other points of potential
entry including second story windows, attic doors, and skylights. It will
also use motion detectors, pressure pads, or sensors on cabinets and bureaus
to detect successful intrusions past the perimeter when the family is asleep
or away. Such a system will usually cost from $1,200 to over $3,000.
The more often an alarm is left in operation, the more protection it provides,
but homeowners continually turn their systems off to preclude false alarms.
Every time a person opens a monitored door or window, a code number has
to be entered into the system, and motion detectors have to be turned off
when any occupant or pet is likely to enter their view. Living with an
alarm system is at best an inconvenience; at worst it is such a hassle
that a family will leave it off much of the time.
False alarms are not merely an inconvenience. They cause heart-thumping
fear, they quickly erode the goodwill of neighbors, and in many jurisdictions
false alarms can result in fines. It is variously estimated that 80 to
98 percent of all alarm alerts are false. These have become a serious problem
for police departments. (The common practice is to consider an alarm false
if there is no evidence of illegal entry or attempted forced entry.)
Most local jurisdictions have passed ordinances designed to minimize false
alarms. All prohibit having the alarm system directly dial the police.
It must dial a third party, usually at a central monitoring station, which
is supposed to verify the emergency before calling the police.
In addition, most police departments issue fines to homeowners who cause
too many false alarms. Usually, no fines are assessed for the first two
or three false alarms in a calendar year; however, after two or three false
alarms, most police departments begin issuing fines for each subsequent
occurrence, and these fines increase for each additional false alarm.
There are several ways to reduce the chances of false alarms. They are
summarized below.
Alarm systems have five main parts: the sensors, the control panel (the
brains of the system), the keypads that are used to adjust the settings
of the control panel, the alert mechanism, and the means of connecting
the components.
Sensors
There are more than a dozen types of sensors. Some detect when a door or
window is opened. Some detect broken glass. And some detect the heat or
motion of an intruder.
Magnetic contacts are the most common type of sensor. A pair of magnetic
contacts is installed with one contact on a door or window and the other
contact on the adjacent frame. When the door or window is opened, the contacts
are separated and that sends a message to the control panel, which in turn
triggers an alarm. (See Figure 8.) With a third contact, these sensors
can be placed on sash and horizontal slider windows so that the windows
can be left in two positions—closed or partially open—without setting off
the alarm. A false alert can occur if a door or window is opened by family
members while the alarm is on or if heavy winds rattle a loose-fitting
window. These sensors provide no protection if an intruder breaks the glass
and crawls through. Contacts cost between $3 and $15 each. Miniature versions
are available at a higher cost.
Figure 8—Magnetic Contact Sensor
(The costs indicated in this discussion are for parts purchased for do-it-yourself
installation. Costs for professionally installed systems and components
are generally much higher.)
Glass breakage vibration sensors are electronic sensors, about the size
of a quarter, that are glued to glass panes. They detect the vibrations
of rattled or breaking glass. Pebbles hitting the windows, strong winds,
truck vibrations, and earthquakes can trigger false alarms. While they
are still available ($10 to $30), they are not as popular as they once
were due to their susceptibility to false alarms.
Glass breakage listening devices (glass breakage audio discriminators)
are devices that trigger an alert when they hear the sound of breaking
glass. Unlike a vibration sensor, one of these devices can cover all the
windows in a room. A dropped bottle or bag of marbles may trigger a false
alarm. Many installers consider these devices unreliable, but some consider
them useful. Glass breakage listening devices cost about $30 to $100.
Wired window screens are fiberglass screens with fine metal wires woven
within. When the screen is broken, the alarm is sounded. These screens
seldom trigger false alarms except during accidental breakage. They are
the most practical way to place an alarm on windows that you wish to leave
wide open. We have not seen these screens sold except by alarm installation
companies. (Professional installers usually sell them for about $100 to
$175 per screen.)
There are two kinds of motion detectors: passive infrared and dual technology.
A passive infrared motion detector is equipped with an “eye” that detects
moving heat differentials within its field of vision. Motion detectors
are normally turned on when the homeowner is not in the house or is asleep.
Midnight snackers or houseguests can cause a false alarm. Other changes
in a room’s environment also can cause false alarms—for example, a dramatic
shift in light from a blown curtain or a bug crawling on the lens of the
device may set the alarm off.
A dual technology motion detector uses passive infrared detection combined
with microwave technology. In addition to “looking” for moving heat differentials,
this type of motion detector sends out sound waves that bounce off everything
in a room. When something interrupts the consistency with which the sound
waves are returned to the device, the detector checks the passive infrared
detection. Unless both technologies are tripped, the alarm will not sound.
This gives the dual technology detector a way to verify a change in environment
and makes it slightly less likely to give a false alarm.
Some motion detectors can be specially set to accommodate pets that may
be in a house while the alarm is set. Many alarm installers call this a
“pet alley.” The basic approach is to aim the eye of the detector at a
level that is above the pet’s normal path so that it will not pick up the
pet’s movement. While convenient in theory, this practice is not foolproof.
For one thing, pets don’t always stay low. Cats climb on things and a dog
might stand on its hind legs and interfere with the detector’s line of
vision.
There are many makes and models of motion detectors to choose from. They
range in price from $20 to $150, with wireless versions falling at the
upper end of the spectrum.
Control Panel
The control panel receives signals from the sensors, processes those signals,
and activates one or more alarm mechanisms. It also communicates with the
keypads, which the homeowners use to turn the system on and make adjustments.
The basic mode of operation is that whenever a sensor notes an opened door
or window, or broken glass, or the movement of a warm body, the control
panel is alerted. If the appropriate code has been entered on one of the
keypads 10 to 30 seconds in advance or is entered 10 to 30 seconds after,
the panel presumes the alert is caused by authorized occupants of the house.
Otherwise it activates a siren or telephones a central monitoring station.
Control panels usually have six to 32 zones. A single sensor or multiple
sensors can be “grouped” into a zone that can be individually identified
by the control panel. This allows the control panel to indicate more precisely
the location of a tripped sensor. The fewer sensors you have in a zone,
the easier it is to pinpoint the exact cause of an alarm. In a burglary,
you seldom need to know more than which room an intruder has entered, but
for purposes of identifying a malfunctioning sensor, it is preferable to
have each sensor on a separate zone.
The panel should have a self-recharging back-up battery. That allows the
system to continue operation during power failures.
Panels are available with various other features. For instance, some control
panels will also accept fire detectors, basement flood detectors, and medical
alerts. And some will trigger a different sounding alarm for each type
of problem.
Some panels can be set so that a frequently used window will not trigger
an alarm if it is closed quickly upon opening. This feature is also convenient
for windows that are frequently opened part-way, because the window can
be raised partly until it aligns with the third contact, without your having
to enter a code.
Some panels can produce a pre-alarm warning, which is a moderate-level
sound indicating that an alert has been received; unless it is canceled
in the next 15 or 30 seconds, the full alarm will be triggered. This gives
homeowners a chance to cancel alerts caused by their own mistakes and is
a good precaution against false alarms. The pre-alarm warning should be
audible throughout the house, and outside of all doors. Buzzers in the
control panel are not sufficient.
The pre-alarm feature also notifies an intruder, who may flee, but in rare
instances, may instead try to destroy the control panel or prevent its
sending a signal. Good practice places the control panel in a securely
attached locked metal box with no exposed wires. Alternatively it should
be located in a locked closet or difficult-to-find place.
Many control units now have a self-silencer. After the outdoor siren has
sounded for five to 15 minutes, it is automatically turned off. Your neighbors
will love this feature, and your local ordinances may require it. Some
units also automatically rearm the system after the self-silencing. With
these, if an intruder leaves a window open or the alert is caused by a
malfunctioning sensor, the siren will cycle on again until the alarm system
is reset. The best compromise often is for the system automatically to
silence the siren, turn off the triggered zone, provide an indication of
that on the keypad, and leave the other zones active.
Very simple control panels start at $100, but for a moderate array of features,
the prices are $250 and up.
Keypads
The keypad allows you to control your alarm system. You turn the system
on and off and make all adjustments through the keypad. It allows you to
receive messages about which sensors have triggered an alert and to cancel
inadvertent alerts. Some keypads will come with alphanumeric readouts,
meaning that the keypad can be programmed to display words such as “back
door” when it is referring to a particular zone. Alphanumeric keypads cost
slightly more than those that communicate with a readout such as “Zone
1,” which requires the user to refer to a small panel that lists the parts
of the house and their respective zones.
Keypads cost $50 to $125, with the more expensive ones generally providing
more features.
There should be a keypad near all frequently used exterior doors to facilitate
the entering of the code each time an occupant goes in or out of the house.
Many families also like to have a keypad in the master bedroom so that
it can be armed before sleep at night and unarmed in the morning. In addition,
when an alert is given at night, they will immediately know which sensors
triggered it without having to go elsewhere in the house. Some control
panels allow the use of any telephone as an auxiliary keypad, but a phone
can’t be set up with all of the conveniences and information features of
a modern dedicated keypad.
Some keypads are easier to operate than others. Ask the company representative
to show you the keypad that would be used in your system, or a picture
of it, and explain exactly what sequence of buttons is to be hit when opening
a door and when turning a zone on or off.
Some keypads have designated panic buttons that allow an occupant manually
to trigger a burglary, fire, or medical alert with the punch of one clearly
marked button. Panic buttons without all the keypad features are also available
at less cost. Some control panels will also allow the use of a small wireless
medical alert pendant that can be worn by ill or elderly occupants and
used to trigger a medical emergency alarm.
Alert Mechanisms
The most common alert mechanisms are loud sirens or horns. They can be
mounted inside the house or outside. Outdoor ones are more likely to grab
the notice of your neighbors, passers-by, and the police, and they are
loud enough to be heard within the house. But if you have more than a rare
false alarm, an external siren will antagonize your neighbors.
An outdoor siren should be mounted on the front of the house as high as
possible. If you will not be using central station monitoring, the siren
should be in a steel protective enclosure, with hidden wiring, and perhaps
have a “tamper switch” that will trigger an alert if anyone tries to disable
the siren. Sirens cost between $15 and $70, not including the cost of the
protective enclosure.
Systems that include fire, flood, or medical alert sensors should have
multi-tone sirens so that the occupants and neighbors can distinguish between
the various forms of emergency. Since it is easy to forget which noise
indicates which type of alert, some newer systems include an enunciator
that alternates a loud blaring noise with a verbal description of the emergency.
Central monitoring stations will inform the police of your address, but
some homes do not have their street number prominently displayed. The noise
of an external siren often echoes, making it difficult to know which house
is emitting the alarm. For that reason, many experts suggest also mounting
a “strobe light” on the front of your home.
The Connections
The components of an alarm system can be “hard-wired” by connecting them
to the control panel with low-voltage wires or they can wirelessly communicate
via small battery-powered radio transmitters and receivers.
For hard-wired components, the wiring may be fully hidden, partially hidden,
or fully exposed. The former is common practice, but it is expensive to
install in houses without unfinished basements or attics, and impossible
to install in houses with concrete slab foundations and solid masonry walls.
If a firm proposes to install hard-wired components, have its representative
show you exactly how the wires for each component will run and have him
or her specify who will be responsible for the cost of any carpentry, plaster
work, or painting needed to repair the damage done by the installation
process.
Some wireless components are “supervised,” which means that periodically
each transmitter is supposed to send a test signal to the control panel,
and if it fails to, the homeowner or central monitoring station is notified
of the malfunction. Otherwise the transmitters are tested by going around
to each one and activating it, but few homeowners do this as often as advised.
Wireless components used to be prone to false alarms set off by police
car radios, CB radios, and garage door openers, but digital transmitters
have mostly eliminated this problem.
The costs to install both types of components are similar because while
wireless components cost more, the labor time to install hard-wired components
is greater; a big advantage of wireless components is ease of installation.
But wireless components have disadvantages. There is the expense and bother
of replacing batteries periodically, although batteries for most components
should last at least two years. Another disadvantage of wireless components
is that their transmitters are more noticeable at doors and windows than
hard-wired sensors, though the devices have become much smaller as technology
has improved.
Most control panels communicate with a central station through the transmission
of a signal through telephone lines or via a cellular signal. Central station
monitoring provides only limited additional protection if your home is
usually occupied or if some of your neighbors are usually home and can
be relied upon to call the police or fire department when they hear your
alarm siren. If that is not the case, monitoring is the only reasonable
way to assure that police and fire departments will be aware of a possible
intrusion. Usually a burglar will flee soon after your siren sounds and
well before the police arrive, but the police will make an effort to close
any open windows and doors, and the monitoring station will also notify
a homeowner at his or her place of work. Central station monitoring provides
extra protection against determined intruders who defeat the siren, locate
and destroy the control panel, or go about their agenda disregarding the
siren.
Different jurisdictions have different policies for what the central monitoring
station is supposed to do when alerted about a potential intrusion, and
local policies are subject to change. When considering a contract for monitoring,
and periodically during a monitoring contract period, check with the monitoring
company and with local police on current rules governing monitoring company
and police department response to alarms. Some of the possible policies
include—
1. The monitoring company attempts to call you at a pre-arranged number—usually
your home phone number—when an alarm is triggered. If you don’t answer
and confirm that it is a false alarm, the alarm company notifies the police
and the police are expected to respond.
2. Same as 1, except that the monitoring company has two numbers—typically
your home phone number and either your cell phone number or a neighbor’s
number—to call before notifying the police.
3. The monitoring company is required to verify that there is evidence of
intrusion before notifying the police. Verification might be by reaching
you or a neighbor by phone, by sending a monitoring company representative
to the site, by confirmation through a video camera, or by various other
means. If there is no verification, the police are not expected to respond.
4. Same as 3, except that the monitoring company is expected to notify police
even if verification is not successful and the police are expected to broadcast
a notification to patrol officers, but the patrol officers are expected
to respond only if doing so is convenient.
In some jurisdictions, your monitoring status might go from the arrangement
described in 1 or 2, above, to the arrangement described in 3 or 4 if you
are responsible for more than a certain number of false alarms in a year.
If your monitoring service is set up to call you before calling the police,
you can test the service’s response. You just trigger an alarm deliberately,
and see how long it takes for the station to call you. Some control panels
have a “test mode” that makes the sirens emit a low-level noise or silences
them so you will not disturb your neighbors.
As the alarm industry improves its equipment, professional burglars are
adding to their bag of tricks. If you live in an affluent neighborhood
or are known publicly to have valuable possessions, you should ask alarm
installers about the precautions that can be taken to protect your central
station communication.
Also, you might want to consider enhancing your system with video monitoring.
Cameras can be set up either to record on a disc or to transmit to a central
monitoring station a video of activity around the exterior, or in the interior,
of your home. The systems can be set up to start recording or transmitting
only when some other sensor has been triggered or can do it on a continuing
basis. If the video is being transmitted to a central monitoring station
on a continuing basis, the station will not ordinarily monitor the signal
unless an alarm notification has been activated by a sensor at your home.
The large national alarm companies operate their own central stations.
Some have a station in each major metropolitan area, but some use one station
with a 1-800 number phone line. Large independents may also operate their
own station, but most of the smaller independents contract with a station
to provide this service.
Before contracting with a monitoring service, be sure the communications
will work. Some have problems receiving alarm notifications from homes
whose phones use Voice Over Internet Protocol rather than traditional phone
technology. Some have problems with homes that have DSL service. Also,
if you have your phone service set up to reject callers who are not identified,
be sure your monitoring service will be able to get through if it needs
to call to verify an alarm.
Underwriters Laboratory (U.L.) “lists” equipment that meet specified standards.
Equipment can be U.L.-listed for safety, which means that it has been tested
and proven not to cause harm or injury when used in the appropriate manner.
Equipment also can be U.L.-listed for the purpose it serves—for example,
alarm equipment might be U.L.-listed for “intrusion detection.”
Because new and more technologically advanced alarm equipment is constantly
being introduced into the market, not all quality products will have a
U.L.-listing. It takes time for some of the newer devices to be tested.
While purchasing products with a U.L.-listing is desirable, it is not necessary.
It is better to select an alarm installer with a track record of satisfied
customers than one that advertises U.L.-listed parts.
If an alarm system uses wireless sensors, their transmitters should be
approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Such approval
is required by law.
Underwriters Laboratory also certifies alarm installations in individual
homes based on specified standards. The certificate for “Basic Systems”
only requires contacts on all external doors and one motion detector. Since
the motion detector usually has to be turned off when the house is occupied
during the day, easily accessible windows are left vulnerable during those
hours. The certificate for “Extended Systems” requires extensive protection.
The U.L. certificate program involves random inspection of installations.
Because of that, it is expensive for installers. Less than three dozen
installers throughout the country participate, and not all their installations
are designed to meet the standards.
If you use an established installer with high customer satisfaction ratings,
you probably don’t need to worry about U.L. certification, but if your
house is a high profile target for intruders, the Extended Systems certificate
does give you extra assurance that adequate protection has been provided.
If you want this assurance, tell installers that when you call them, and
make sure the contract specifies that the installation will be awarded
a U.L. certificate for Extended Systems. You will probably pay a premium
price for such an installation.
Underwriters Laboratory also certifies central security stations that monitor
alarms. U.L. sets standards for the building, equipment, and staffing.
Inspections are conducted to ascertain continued compliance. A facility
can be certified as a “monitoring station—residential (CVSU)” or a “central
station (CPVX).” There are only a few such facilities in this area. Again,
we would prefer the U.L. certification, but would do business with a station
that has generated high customer satisfaction even if it is not certified.
Alarms can add protection against intrusions into your home, but they also
involve a significant expense and create some inconveniences. Should you
get a system? We think it depends on several factors:
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How well is your house physically secured against intrusions?
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What is the rate of burglary and other crime in your neighborhood?
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Is your house regularly unoccupied during the day or evening or during
long vacations?
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Are there neighbors around most of the time who will keep an eye on the
house and call the police when they detect suspicious activity?
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How much are you likely to lose in a burglary? Is it replaceable? And is
it insured for replacement value?
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Do you have children, frequent houseguests, pets, or elderly persons in
the home who are likely to trigger false alarms?
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How worried is your family about possible break-ins?
We recommend that homeowners first improve physical barriers to intrusion
as discussed earlier in this article.
An alarm system is an especially good option for people who choose to live
with limited barriers because of aesthetics or because they want easy egress
during fires. And if your homeowners insurance company gives a big premium
discount for burglary and/or fire alarms, that could make the alarms less
expensive than they first appear.
On our Ratings Tables, you will find ratings of area alarm installers,
many of which serve all or most of the area. On our customer survey, we
asked respondents to rate the firms “inferior,” “adequate,” or “superior”
on various aspects of service. Several firms were rated “superior” for
“doing work properly” by at least 80 percent of their surveyed customers,
but a few received such favorable ratings from less than 50 percent.
The main problems customers report with installers are systems that don’t
work right, installation-related damage to the property, messiness, and
slow response to requests for service.
In addition to customer survey results, for the firms that were evaluated
in our last full, published article, our Ratings Tables show for each
listed firm that is located in Pennsylvania or Delaware the number of complaints
on file with the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Pennsylvania (BBB)
or the BBB of Delaware for a recent three-year period. We asked the BBB
of Central and Southern New Jersey to allow us to report complaint information
for firms located there, but we have not yet been able to secure permission
to do so.
For firms located in New Jersey, our Ratings Tables report counts of
complaints on file for each listed firm with the New Jersey Office of Consumer
Protection for a recent two-year period. We have attempted to collect similar
information for firms located in Delaware and Pennsylvania, but neither
of the Attorney General offices in those states has agreed to make this
information public.
Where we were able to, we have also reported on our Ratings Tables
a complaint rate, calculated by dividing the number of complaints by our
measure of the number of full-time-equivalent security-system installers
that perform residential work for the firms. The complaint rate is intended
as a rough way to take into account volume of work and the fact that firms
that do more work are exposed to a greater risk of incurring complaints.
When using the complaint information, keep in mind that complaints are
not always justified; sometimes the customer is unreasonable. Also, be
aware that some firms may be at greater risk than others of incurring complaints
because of the specific types of business they do. And remember that the
measure of business volume we use in calculating complaint rates (the number
of full-time-equivalent installers) is at best a very rough indicator.
You can check current BBB complaint information on any firm by contacting
the BBB where the firm is located. See below for phone numbers and website
addresses.
Our Ratings Tables show whether firms were members of their BBB at
the time we checked. BBB members cannot be the subject of adverse actions
in BBB files (including local, state, or federal government actions involving
business practices), must respond to complaints brought to their attention
by the BBB, must take corrective actions deemed appropriate by the BBB,
and must adhere to the BBB code of advertising. Members that participate
in the BBB’s “Membership Identification Program,” which allows them to
use the BBB logo in advertising, must agree to submit to arbitration if
a dispute cannot be otherwise resolved.
Our Ratings Tables also report whether firms had a “satisfactory” record
(“Sat.”), “unsatisfactory” record (“Unsat.”), neutral record (”Neutral”),
or no record (“No record”) with their BBB when we checked.
We did not prepare price index scores to compare firms’ average prices
because no two firms offer exactly the same installation approaches, options,
or materials. Instead, to illustrate the range of prices you might encounter,
we had a shopper get bids from firms for an installation job at a home
that needed a system. Our shopper attempted to have each firm bid on exactly
the same job, but no doubt there were some differences among firms in what
would have been done if we had had them actually do the job. The estimates
our shopper collected included three years of central station monitoring.
Table 1 shows the estimates. As you can see, price differences were large,
ranging from $1,089 to $3,115.
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| Firm A | $1,868 |
| Firm B | $2,290 |
| Firm C | $1,460 |
| Firm D | $3,115 |
| Firm E | $3,010 |
| Firm F | $2,630 |
| Firm G | $1,089 |
| Firm H | $1,295 |
| Firm I | $1,800 |
| Firm J | $1,444 |
| Firm K | $1,546 |
| Firm L | $2,705 |
FOOTNOTE:
1 Prices shown are for illustration only; your home is likely to be quite different from the home where we collected these sample bids. Our shopper asked firms to quote their prices to install a system with one control panel with battery backup, two motion detectors, nine window sensors, four door sensors, two keypads, and one siren. |
Once you have equipment installed, some firms allow you to contract with
any service you choose for monitoring; others require you to use their
monitoring service for a specific period of time (usually three years).
For the latter firms, if you are not satisfied with the quality or price
of their monitoring services, it will be costly to take your monitoring
business elsewhere, since you’ll have to continue to pay for the original
monitoring contract until the service term is complete.
When getting bids for an alarm system, ask each installer to discuss the
terms of payment. For a well-established firm, we would agree to as much
as 50 percent payment upon the signing of the contract, but no more than
that. And we would prefer the rest to be payable at least 15 days and preferably
30 days after completion of the installation. That gives you leverage if
you have to request correction of any problems.
In our experience, home security representatives vary greatly in their
level of home security expertise. Our shoppers found that some appeared
to know little about actual alarm installation, spent minimal time inspecting
the home, and did not have a clear idea of how the job would be accomplished.
These representatives were more interested in explaining their home security
products and systems than they were in figuring out how to give our shoppers
exactly what they were requesting. With such salespersons, it took considerable
time and energy to get a clear price for the job. When our shoppers finally
got an estimate, they could only hope that the salespersons understood
the nuances of the job and would communicate these to the installation
workers.
On the other hand, our shoppers found that some firms’ representatives
were real home security experts. Many of these salespersons had personally
done installation work in the past and some were planning to install the
alarm system themselves. They took a good look around the house, checked
inside closets, asked to see the basement, and banged on walls. They seemed
to know exactly what we wanted and what it would take to do the job.
Many jurisdictions require that alarms be registered. Whichever firm you
use should have a copy of the paperwork you will need to fill out. Many
firms will submit the needed paperwork for you. Most registrations either
are free or can be done for a nominal administrative fee. Some registrations
must be renewed every few years. Your installer should be able to inform
you of the requirements in your area.
If you want your system to be connected to a central station monitoring
service, you will have to choose one of these services. If you already
have a system, it makes sense periodically to shop the alternatives. Some
companies will lock you into a contract for as long as three to five years.
You can shop before renewing. With most types of equipment, it is easy
to switch companies. The new company just has to come to your home and
reprogram the dialer or other device that calls the central station. Most
companies will charge nothing for a switchover, but some will charge a
one-time setup fee of $25 to $150. Firms that offer term contracts often
will waive their setup fees if a customer commits to a long-term contract.
We shopped monitoring prices at the firms listed on our Ratings Tables.
Be aware that most local alarm installation firms do not actually perform
the monitoring service, but simply act as sales agents for an out-of-area
monitoring company. The costs of monitoring vary widely. As Table 2 shows,
for three years of central station burglar alarm monitoring, prices ranged
from $648 to $1,188.
|
| ADT Security Services | $1,188 |
| Advent Security | $900 |
| Alarms Unlimited | $648 |
| American Protection | $1,030 |
| B Safe | $898 |
| Berley Security Systems | $900 |
| Briggs Burglar & Fire Alarms | $864 |
| Brink’s Home Security | $1,044 |
| Citadel Security Systems | $720 |
| Delco Alarm Systems | $810 |
| Delcollo Security Technologies | $864 |
| Fidelity Burglar & Fire Alarm | $792 |
| Franklin Security | $936 |
| Guardian Protection | $970 |
| Holicong Locksmiths/Central Security | $792 |
| J M Resources | $862 |
| John Zechman Security Alarm | $720 |
| Protection Bureau | $900 |
| Rendin Alarm | $720 |
| Security Concepts | $936 |
| Security Instrument | $862 |
| Security On Line Systems | $1,026 |
| Slomin’s | $952 |
| Vector Security Systems | $936 |
What if all your locks and alarms have not prevented an invasion? If you
return home and find signs that your house has been entered, don’t go in.
Go to a neighbor, call the police, and wait until they arrive. If you inadvertently
surprise an intruder already in your home, the odds are that he wants only
a few valuables and a quick exit. Don’t menace him, don’t stall him, and
don’t belittle him. You will feel your home has been violated and the urge
to insult, resist, or counterattack may be strong. Don’t! Let him have
the goods and leave.
Most burglars will avoid houses when family members are thought to be awake
at home, and if mistaken, they will flee as soon as they are made aware
of their error. So if a prowler does not scare off easily, you should prepare
for the worst. Use everything you have to scare him away. Go for the exterior
lights, flick on interior lights, hit the panic button of an alarm, and
call the police.
If you see someone attempting to enter your home and can’t scare him off,
you may have several options. If you can exit the house and run to a neighbor’s,
that may be your best bet. Another choice is to retreat into a room without
a vulnerable window and with a strong door and lock, barricading the door
with furniture. A third option is to grab your best weapon and take a stand
where you think the prowler will enter; it may be easier to overpower him
as he tries to enter than after he is inside, but any confrontation is
dangerous.
If the intruder confronts you, unless you have a loaded gun in your hand
and he does not, cooperate until it becomes clear he intends serious harm.
This advice is not only for the timid; many martial arts instructors and
police officers follow it.
If the intruder comes at you, he probably intends bodily harm. If he breaks
through your barricaded bedroom door, he probably intends bodily harm.
In these cases, there are no general guidelines on what to do. Some people
have managed to talk assailants out of doing them harm; others have antagonized
assailants further when using the same approach. Some have submitted and
avoided further harm; others have been brutalized when doing so. Some have
fought off the assailants; others have been killed while trying.
Courts have generally held that when confronted by an intruder you can
use only as much force as you believe, and as a reasonable person would
believe, is necessary to protect yourself and family. Rarely would the
law excuse you for shooting someone in the back, but there is considerable
ambiguity about many other situations, including:
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Can you attack a potential intruder before he enters your home if you are
reasonably sure he intends to come in?
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Can you attack an intruder who has entered through an open door? What if
he has not yet revealed an intent to take anything or harm anyone?
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Do you have to warn the intruder or can you surprise him with a bullet
or a baseball bat? (A warning might cause him to leave without injury,
but might also give him a better chance to hurt you.)
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How much force, if any, can you use to apprehend an intruder who is leaving?
Does it matter whether he is taking something?
Having your house broken into not only is scary; it leaves your family
with a list of important things to do. The first thing is to call the police.
The chances are only about one in ten that any of your possessions will
be recovered, but that is better than nothing, and proof of a police report
is usually necessary when filing an insurance claim. Ask for the report
number before the officer leaves your home.
Next, you will need to re-secure your house. If you have been careless,
this could be as easy as closing a window or locking a door. If you have
been living cautiously, it will be more difficult. Half-inch plywood, attached
on the inside with two-inch screws every foot makes a strong temporary
barrier for a broken window or door. If you do not have the means of doing
this, some of the locksmiths listed in the article on our website can help.
Most burglarized families live in fear that the intruder will return. According
to local police, this seldom happens. But it is common for the burglar
to attack a nearby house within a few weeks. So the time for the most concern
is after your neighbors have been victimized.
If your loss is greater than the deductible in your homeowners or renters
insurance policy, report the loss to the company and pull together information
on the value of the possessions.
If you live in an apartment, there are special concerns and resources.
Door person. Apartment buildings with security personnel posted at the
front entrance are preferable to those that do not employ security personnel.
While door persons are generally not trained as security guards, they can
monitor the comings and goings of residents and their guests and their
physical presence acts as a deterrent for would-be thieves.
Call box. Try to choose an apartment building that has a reliable call
box. Most new apartment buildings have them. While many older ones have
been retrofitted with them, others have not. Call boxes allow guests to
call the person they are visiting and to be “buzzed in.” Call boxes make
distinguishing between legitimate guests and others easier. If a call box
is present, guests generally will not be waiting for someone to enter or
exit the building to be let in.
Front entrance etiquette. Most apartment dwellers are familiar with the
often-awkward social etiquette that accompanies entering and exiting their
building. If someone is right behind you as you are about to enter, do
you hold the door for him or her? Or, if someone is waiting at the front
door (perhaps even in the process of using the call box) as you exit, do
you let the person enter? Unless you recognize the person as a resident
of the building, the best solution is to close the door behind you without
letting the person in. This is easier in theory than in practice, however,
since closing the door on someone, even a stranger, may feel rude. But
this is a security issue, and a simple explanation such as “nothing personal,
but I can’t let you in” should suffice.
Neighbors. It’s a good idea to get to know the other tenants living in
your apartment building. Find out whether your apartment building has a
Neighborhood Watch group; many have their own groups.
Security audit. Contact your local police station and have an officer do
a security audit of your building. If there are weaknesses, such as poor
lighting around an entrance, the officer can write them up and submit them
to the building manager or owner.
Security devices. There are inexpensive do-it-yourself ways to secure your
apartment. You can get a wireless motion detector, which you can arm at
night, for the front entrance area. You can also get wireless contact sensors
for any vulnerable windows or doors.
Vigilance. Never assume that the hallways of your apartment building are
any safer than city streets. This means always lock your front door and
avoid poorly lit areas or communal rooms—such as laundry rooms—late at
night.
Radio Shack sells parts for both wired and wireless burglar alarm systems.
It has a booklet, which you can buy in advance, that describes the needed
equipment and wiring. Some hardware stores also sell alarm equipment you
can install yourself.
Wireless systems can usually be installed by anyone who is minimally adept
with hand tools. Wired systems are much more difficult to install, especially
if you intend to hide the wires within the walls. Professionals usually
need two days to do a moderate-size house; an amateur will need more time.
Many self-installed alarm systems are advertised in conjunction with 24-hour
central station monitoring. Decide if the monitoring service is acceptable
to you. If it is not, contact a station that is and ask what components
are compatible with its requirements.
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You don’t have to open your door to a stranger—so don’t feel pressured
into doing so. Your first concern is safety, not making a stranger feel
welcome. If you decide to open your door, do so only after seeing adequate
identification. If the person represents a company, he or she should have
a photo ID issued by the company.
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If an unknown “meter reader” shows up at an unusual time or a “building
inspector” or “fire inspector” makes an unscheduled visit, call the employer
to verify the visitor’s status before you let him or her in. Use the phone
book to get the correct phone number of the employer; don’t rely on the
one provided by the person at your door.
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When a delivery person arrives, don’t open the door until he or she gives
you the name of the addressee. If the delivery person doesn’t know the
name, call his or her employer.
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If a stranger asks to make an emergency phone call, don’t let him or her
in. Instead, make the call yourself and relay the requested information.
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Failure to enter the required code before or after opening a door or window.
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Failure to close a door after entering or exiting the house.
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Failure to close all doors, windows, and other protected points before
activating the alarm system.
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Entry by an occupant or pet into a room with an activated motion detector.
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Children and inquisitive guests hitting the panic button.
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Vibrations and noise setting off glass breakage sensors.
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Strong winds rattling loose windows or doors, or swelling window frames
triggering contact sensors.
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Electrical noise, power voltage dips, brownouts, and blackouts.
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Use an experienced, skilled, and reputable alarm installer.
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Read the instruction materials thoroughly. Inform all family members, domestic
help, and guests how to use the system for their needs and check their
operation of it.
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Have a keypad placed close to each frequently used door.
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Have a pre-alarm signal that is audible throughout the house and outside
frequently used doors.
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Use a central monitoring station that calls the home to verify an alert
before it calls the police.
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Install a central panel that has at least eight zones and preferably twice
that number. Have each frequently used door on its own zone. Have glass
breakage detectors and motion detectors on separate zones.
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Use only the best motion detectors and glass breakage detectors. “Dual-technology”
or cross verification between two detectors helps.
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Make sure that all doors and windows equipped with contact sensors fit
tightly and do not rattle. Make sure that if doors and windows swell, contact
between sensors will be maintained. Set motion detectors to a sensitivity
level that accommodates the shifting of curtains and other objects that
are likely to move. If you have pets, aim the detectors so they are unlikely
to be triggered by your pets.
Better Business Bureau of Delaware
1010 Concord Avenue, Suite 101
Wilmington,
DE 19802
302-594-9200
www.wilmington.bbb.org
Better Business Bureau of Central and Southern New Jersey
1700 Whitehorse-Hamilton
Sq. Road
Trenton, NJ 08690
609-588-0808
www.trenton.bbb.org
Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Pennsylvania
1608 Walnut Street,
Suite 600
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-985-9313
www.easternpa.bbb.org
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