Security Products:
How to AVOID the FLAWS in
Electronic Burglar Alarm Equipment

Security Products CANNOT be guaranteed to stop any crime - but electronic burglar alarm equipment will likely perform well if you understand the potential flaws, and if you follow the guidance in Home Security - Overview.

When a home is broken into, which seems to happen regularly, friends will grill the resident, searching for where s/he erred. One ex-pat hadn't trimmed a tree branch on his property, so someone was able to climb over the electric fence. Another's burglar bars were spaced too far apart; a child had apparently slipped through and passed loot to robbers waiting outside. ... Someone's gate wasn't fast enough. She was carjacked while waiting for it to open. Another's dog wasn't smart enough - he ate poisoned meat the robbers had tossed over the wall. [by Stephanie Hanes, an American reporter now living in South Africa]
Excerpted from The Concord Monitor (NH) – 03 April 2005

Flaws in Electronic Security Products

Home Burglar Alarms Don't Always Scare Off Burglars

Robert and Pam Cole were asleep at their home when they heard glass breaking. “We were both jarred awake,” Pam Cole said. “We knew something was wrong. The alarm was going off.” ... "Someone is coming in the house and she yelled out, ‘Get your shotgun,’” Robert Cole said. “I came out of the bedroom and down the hall here, a man was in the living room with a black hoodie and a fire extinguisher like he was going to beat somebody. I came out of the bedroom with the shotgun and shot him in the hip. He screamed, dropped the fire extinguisher and dived into the hole he came in.”
Excerpted from KPRC TV-2 Houston TX – 04 January 2010

At least, alarms notify the homeowners that their home is being invaded. That does give them a chance, anyway, to take defensive measures. But burglars are well aware that police take anywhere from a few minutes to many hours to arrive (averaging NINE minutes for 911).

There is NO guarantee that burglars will flee upon hearing an alarm. Most are desperate drug addicts who may gamble that they can complete their crime and escape before the police arrive. Or, a burglar may be mentally disturbed and unreasonable.

So while home burglar alarms are very valuable security products for an early warning, you also need the insights in Home Security - Break-In and Burglary Prevention – and the additional security products in the menu at the bottom of this page.

Home Burglar Alarms must always be ON

INSIDE THE MIND OF A HOUSE ROBBER
One in three house robbers have murdered and on average they commit 104 crimes before the law finally catches up with them. And with each crime perpetrated over an average period of seven-and-a-half years, they become more and more violent. ... This is the disturbing profile of a convicted house robber revealed in a study conducted by senior forensic investigation lecturer, Dr Rudolph Zinn, leaving the ex-police officer shocked at how willing this category of criminal was to resort to violence. ... Their modus operandi revolved around gathering intelligence about their intended victims. "They will keep the house under observation for a long time. Part of their reconnaissance also includes establishing which security firms operate in the area, how often they patrol and how long it takes for them to react to a call. ... The observation of their victims continue right up until they are ready to commit their crime, often they will hide in the garden watching the house. "They strike when their victims are still awake, at night or in the morning. They use the noise of TV sets, or cooking as cover. At this time they told me, most people haven't armed their alarms," Zinn explained.
The Pretoria News (South Africa) – 17 July 2008

Secrets of Cat Burglars

Michael Bozelle, unlike most burglars, doesn’t use drugs. And, although he's a highly skilled "cat burglar,” he targets middle class homes instead of the very wealthy. ... He’s fussy about his targets and has a system for determining when his victims aren’t home. He checks the Apartment Guide looking for large apartments where the rent is high. Though he can defeat many alarms he prefers avoiding them. He likes complexes with breezeways for more means of access – and escape. ... Bozelle goes to an apartment complex and writes down all the license plate numbers of parked cars. A friend with access to Department of Motor Vehicle information finds out which apartments the owners live in. He returns when he expects people to be out and takes note of which cars are missing from the parking lot.
Excerpted from the Raleigh News and Observer (NC) – 18 January 2001

Blane Nordahl has impressed police detectives in 10 states as the best cat burglar they've ever encountered. He burgled only the "old money" homes, and stole only their finest sterling silver. He ignored jewelry likely kept in the bedroom for fear of waking the owners. ... Nordahl says that security products and alarms are made by non-burglars who don't see the weaknesses that he does. Among his many techniques, he would sometimes climb a utility pole to disable the burglar alarm, or set it off repeatedly until the exasperated owner finally turned it off. Or he'd bypass the system by cutting panels out of doors, windows, or walls, then avoiding the motion detectors inside. And oftentimes, the alarm wasn't even on because the owners felt secure living in such a safe area.
Excerpted from the U.S. News & World Report – 20 November 2000

HOME DEFENSE SECURITY PRODUCTS:
Home Security Hardware,
Burglar Alarm Equipment,
and Personal Safety Devices

HOME BURGLAR ALARMS

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