Security Products
Flaws in Electronics

NO security products are guaranteed to prevent any crime - but will likely serve you well if combined with the guidance in Home Security as well as knowing the shortcomings of electronic security products.

When a home is broken into, which seems to happen regularly, friends will grill the owner or renter, searching for where 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 she was 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

The Downside of Electronic Security Products
• Alarm systems can give you a false sense of invulnerability.
• A determined burglar may repeatedly trigger an alarm and wait until an exasperated homeowner, assuming it's broken, turns it off.
• Each family member must arm/disarm the system when doing anything unusual such as coming or going at odd hours. And some people are victimized when their system is disarmed during “safe” mornings or afternoons.
• You might still be ambushed outdoors and forced at gunpoint to disarm the system. Although you can send a silent panic alert to the monitoring company, police may be too late to rescue you.

Some communities now require that private security products companies, the property owners, or remote video systems verify from the scene that there are signs of a potential burglary in progress (like an open door or a broken window) before the police respond. If you’re lucky, a nearby patrol car might respond immediately. Otherwise, police may take anywhere from several minutes to several hours to respond. False alarms are caused by pets tripping an alarm, inadequate training of homeowners, dead batteries, faulty installation, or cobwebs triggering sensors.

INSIDE THE MIND OF A 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

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 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

Security products aren't perfect but are still superb if combined with the guidance in Home Security.

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