Do you have a burglar alarm?

spimf · 15/12/14 - 17:14

Out of curiosity, how many of you have an alarm on your home?

Is it just the alarm or did you go with a security company you pay monthly to monitor the system for you?

Danny_Silver · 15/12/14 - 17:20

£499 + VAT for installation and fitting.
£23 per month for full monitoring and maintenance.

I want security and peace of mind to protect my family and property.:)

EvieJ · 15/12/14 - 17:22

You're not a burglar are you ?;-)

spimf · 15/12/14 - 17:24

EvieJ wrote: »

You're not a burglar are you ?;-)

Haha no

Someone tried to break in to our house on Friday night and I am looking into the security options.

Maxatoria · 15/12/14 - 17:46

spimf wrote: »

Haha no

Someone tried to break in to our house on Friday night and I am looking into the security options.

Hungry rotty and a 12 bore will give full peace of mind, full auto belt fed 50 cal with phsophorus tracer rounds and DU ones will mean you'll easy be able to stop em if pretty much unless they turn up in a tank but good luck with the section 5 firearms license to get the 50 cal

Asmo · 15/12/14 - 17:54

spimf wrote: »

Haha no

Someone tried to break in to our house on Friday night and I am looking into the security options.

An obvious alarm is a deterrent - as is some sign (lights/sounds) there is an occupant, but if they tried a window you might want to get those looked at, many older windows might as well have a ring pull on them they open so easily.

Valaraukar · 15/12/14 - 17:54

A monitored burglar alarm on the main house and larger outbuildings with CCTV and PIR motion detectors. We also have geese too, nothing gets past the attack geese of doom.

[Deleted User] · 15/12/14 - 18:00

Of course.

phantom sneeze · 15/12/14 - 18:07

Nothing gets past my command attack donkey.

Mark39London · 15/12/14 - 18:08

Alarm, cameras, extra locks on the downstairs windows and doors, London and Birmingham bars on the front door frame, all interior doors are lockable, two lights on random, anti pick locks, anti snap euro locks and two additional locks on the patio doors, fence spikes at the rear (animal deterrent....), motion detecting security lights, rambling rose bush along the length of the back fence next to a Pyracantha.

Pumping Iron · 15/12/14 - 18:09

The police are stretched and will have so many false alarms, that they are unlikely to respond instantly. You can get alarms and apps that control cctv or other systems when you're away from your home, but that's not going to prevent anything. Even if you get footage of the crime, punishment is likely to be minor. Decent security lights, fake dog barking, lights and 'fake tv' on timers, visible cctv, even bars on your windows will put people off and help prevent the crime happening

spimf · 15/12/14 - 18:56

SuperDude95 wrote: »

Of course.

Of course you have an alarm, or of course someone tried to break into my house? Apologies if the former, but years of DS have made me cynical.

I am mainly wondering an alarm alone would be enough to act as a deterrent, not sure the monitoring is really necessary as the house is very rarely empty and all the company say they do is ring the nominated keyholder, which I don't really think is worth £30 a month. To get the monitoring that calls the police was £££s more and as has been mentioned, the overstretched police won't really be overly concerned. The guy from the firm was very adamant that only the monitored alarms are worth having, but I personally think he was full of sh*t, so was curious as to whether those with just standard alarms feel they are 'safe enough' or if it really is worth the extra for any added peace of mind.

My gut instinct was a huge dog but it's not really practical unfortunately. I like the rose bush idea, but unfortunately the door they tried is on a main street so not a great deal I can put there. Will look into cameras but not sure if there are any legal implications of filming a public street? Seems like the kind of daft thing we will have a law about. Shall investigate.

Thanks for the replies, all food for thought.

Edit: should clarify that by 'door they tried' I don't mean they gave the handle a yank to see if we were stupid enough to have left it open, they were attempting to bust the lock and when that didn't work thought brute force would work >:(

[Deleted User] · 15/12/14 - 19:04

Alarm, outside lights with motion detectors, locked high gate, two dogs, fully enclosed garden with high fences & hedges - plus nearly 20 years of karate (black belt) and a ferocious wife in case anyone gets in and decides they want to rumble.

[Deleted User] · 15/12/14 - 19:06

phantom sneeze wrote: »

Nothing gets past my command attack donkey.

I like the cut of your jib.

Jimmy Connors · 15/12/14 - 19:11

Yes I do.

The exterior (including all access points) is covered by HD CCTV - monitored 24/7.

After reading this thread I am also looking in the possibility of a command attack donkey.

:cool:

Maxatoria · 15/12/14 - 19:11

When stopping them you need to make somewhere else more appealing so if you've got steel doors properly secured so it will take a tank to pull them out and take half the building with it, lights but the best thing you can do is spend a bit of time and think as a burglar (or a desperate homeowner who's forgot their keys/mobile and theres a hungry baby inside) as to what would you do to get inside and if you know someone who was once done for breaking and entering get them to show you how they think...you employ a thief to catch a thief

[Deleted User] · 15/12/14 - 20:01

No, I have a dog that can hear the grass grow

juliancarswell · 15/12/14 - 22:28

Yes, we do.
Our nextdoor neighbours, a young couple on the other hand dont. Not only that, they go out leaving their patio door open six inches for their cat to go in and out. They both grew up on farms and are used to not locking doors. I wouldnt have the bottle.

BrotherDaniel · 15/12/14 - 22:34

Alarm, cctv, panic buttons, 2 dogs, selection of weapons dotted around the house.

jra · 15/12/14 - 22:38

A burgler alarm is just advertising you might have something worth nicking.

Besides, IMO, you get false alarms, which involves a lot of hassle.

Also, because these type of alarms go off so often, including car alarms, most people just ignore them, thinking it is a false alarm, which kind of defeats the object of the exercise.

BrotherDaniel · 15/12/14 - 22:42

jra wrote: »

A burgler alarm is just advertising you might have something worth nicking.

Besides, IMO, you get false alarms, which involves a lot of hassle.

Also, because these type of alarms go off so often, including car alarms, most people just ignore them, thinking it is a false alarm, which kind of defeats the object of the exercise.

Every burglar I've met has always said, if they see an alarm box on the house they will simply look elsewhere.

Mark in Essex · 15/12/14 - 22:42

We have only got a wireless Yale one, but I thought it would be better than nothing.

We also have a PIR light on the front of the house, PIR down the alley and also a gate on the alley.

Also I swapped the standard Eurolock on the door for an anti-bump, anti-snap one a while back.

Also I keep a 6D Maglite tourch next to the bed just in case. ;-)

CravenHaven · 15/12/14 - 22:56

I just remove anything heavy from my front garden in case the police use it in a dawn raid to break my door down.

MargMck · 15/12/14 - 23:00

No I live 3 doors from a police station and tell myself that should be a deterrent as the cops are in and out all times of day.

QT 3.14 · 15/12/14 - 23:38

jra wrote: »

A burgler alarm is just advertising you might have something worth nicking.

Only if it's visible, and ours isn't.

hellsTinkerbell · 16/12/14 - 01:01

Its me usually....2.15am.
Kicking hubby....what was that?
Slightest noise I wake up.

Hey there!

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