Unfortunately burglaries are a constant worry for most homeowners. Burglars will target the most vulnerable houses and if yours is not fitted with an alarm, then you are practically inviting people into your home. For your family’s safety and for the security of your home and possessions a burglar alarm is essential. This guide will tell you what you need to know when buying or installing burglar alarms.
Different types of burglar alarms
Burglar alarms in Tunbridge Wells come in many varieties, from the simple to complex, each costing an increasing amount of money. The simplest type is an alarm which will go off, alerting neighbours, as soon as an intruder breaks into your house. With this alarm you are relying on neighbours to call the police or inspect your property. However, they can still be effective because the mere presence of an alarm going off is enough to deter most burglars.
A more sophisticated alarm option is one which is monitored by a company round the clock. Once the alarm is raised, an individual monitoring the system is alerted. They can then try and contact you to make sure it’s not a false alarm or ask for further instruction. If there is no response from the home owner, the monitor can sound the alarm as well as alert the police.
A more expensive option is having your alarm linked directly to the police. The police will be aware of an incident and can make a note of it if there are any criminal procedures to follow afterwards. They can also take action, if they choose to. However, this isn’t guaranteed. The police say they will respond based on other incidents they are dealing with and whether they have the resources available. This is decided by a call handler at the police station who is made aware of the alarm. Be careful, though, because if you have a false alarm more than three times in a 12 month period, the police will strike you off their register and not respond if an alarm goes off.
Alternative alarm monitor
If you don’t want to pay the full expense of having someone monitor your alarm around the clock, you can have an automatic monitor. These cost very little and can be added to existing burglar alarms that lack any telecommunication functionalities. The alarms use movement sensors as per usual, but when they go off, a dialler begins dialling phone numbers you have stored in its memory. It will then play a recorded message informing you that an alarm has gone off. Some sophisticated systems allow you to use your phone to set the alarm off manually if this is the case. Otherwise, if there is no response, the automatic monitor will set the alarm off itself.
