Burglar alarms

[lethargic_man]

I got woken up last night by a bugler burglar alarm going off outside my window a little short of two o'clock. It went on for quarter of an hour, then went off again for another ten minutes shortly after stopping, and possibly for a third time too. When my alarm clock went off this morning, I was so tired I collapsed back into bed... then five minutes later the burglar alarm went off again, for about ten seconds. Well, at least it stopped me falling back asleep again.

What do people here think of burglar alarms? My old landlord in Hendon, Avromi, refused to get one, even after his place had been broken into. He said they don't do any good; they just go off all the time and annoy people. His attitude towards having things stolen is to just buy them back with the insurance.

Now me, I'd prefer not to have the hassle. But I'm not sure an alarm would save me from that. My Grandma's got broken into about ten years ago; the thief somehow squirmed in through the small pane above the (alarmed) French window, and had managed to make off with all her silverware before setting off the motion sensor and triggering her burglar alarm.

OTOH, if I don't get an alarm, well, I've been present in my parents' place during an attempted break-in; my brother's bike also got nicked from the locked garden shed in my parents' place (now they alarm the shed even when the house is occupied, as it was then); there was that time at Avromi's (Avromi came home when the burglar was in my room; he assumed the burglar was me); there was the above incident involving my Grandma; and there was the time a year ago when, during my Friday night meal, there was a lot of banging and bumping from above, which turned out to be the flat upstairs getting burgled. It's not a case of whether I'm unlucky and get burgled; it's more a case of when it's going to happen. I frequently come home and express gratitude that my possessions are still there.

But possibly a burglar alarm is over the top and not worth it, money-wise, for the amount of wealth and goods I have in my place.

So what do you think?

* ObLinguistics: "Burglarised" might be technically correct, but that doesn't stop it being a blot on the language.

---

As if to prove the point, the shop around the corner is missing its glass front door today: it had a break-in last night.

Comments

[hatam-soferet.livejournal.com]

I think they're a load of rubbish, personally. No-one ever takes any notice; you're much better off getting your property tagged and insured and getting a dog, good window locks, etc.

[pseudomonas.livejournal.com]

Does your footnote have an asterisk that refers to it? It's winding me up.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

It did when I was writing the post; looks like someone must have stolen it.

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

It isn't worth the stress: move to an area with a lower crime rate.

[liv]

I really don't see the point of burglar alarms; IMO they cause far more trouble than they're worth. I can believe that they sometimes have a deterrent effect; a casual thief who breaks in and sets an alarm off may run away, possibly. But since there are so many faulty ones around the place, most people ignore them, and most burglars know that, so in most cases the alarm doesn't prevent the burglary. As your example with your Grandma. And apart from the money they're a lot of nuisance.

I have also heard that burglary is becoming less common these days as the price of electronic consumer goods is coming down. So for example, there's very little second hand market for stereos and TVs and similar things that formerly would have had a lot of stealable because portable value, because it's so cheap to buy these things new. It's also easier and more profitable to pirate CDs than steal them. And few people have things like antiques and valuable jewellery these days, and in any case it's harder to fence unique than mass-produced items. So most house breakins are carried out by junkies rather than pros, and junkies will probably grab a handful of stuff and run and not ransack the place.

The main reason most people have burglar alarms is because there was a phase when insurance companies were using not having one as an excuse not to pay out. They would claim that if you didn't have a burglar alarm fitted and working, you weren't taking reasonable precautions to protect your property, &c. So you should perhaps check with your insurer whether you will still be covered if you don't have an alarm.

Besides all of which, an alarm acts as an advert that there is something worth stealing here. In your case I'd say there isn't terribly, which is perhaps an argument not to bother, as you say. I take Avromi's point; while prevention is better than recouping the financial cost after the fact, I'm not sure that burglar alarms are actually an effective means of prevention. And at least having insurance makes a break-in more bearable.

Maybe consider joining a neighbourhood watch scheme or something like that? Doesn't have to be official (some people think NW are fascists or otherwise terrible people), but just talking to your neighbours and asking them to keep an eye on your place if they happen to be in when you're out and vice versa.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

I have also heard that burglary is becoming less common these days as the price of electronic consumer goods is coming down.

Really? Can you back this up with citation?

So most house breakins are carried out by junkies rather than pros, and junkies will probably grab a handful of stuff and run and not ransack the place.

I.e. the smallest and most portable, and hence most nickable items, like my digital camera, and USB fob. (There's a reason I've been keeping luminiferous and not replacing it with a modern, fully working, fast, slim and lightweight laptop.^*) And, knowing my luck, use my bike as a getaway vehicle.

* (There's also the fact luminiferous continues to work just about enough for most of what I want to do with it; although the fact the Ethernet card has apparently given up working is annoying.

So you should perhaps check with your insurer whether you will still be covered if you don't have an alarm.

I am, though I'm sure it'd be cheaper (in the long run) if I did have an alarm.

Maybe consider joining a neighbourhood watch scheme or something like that? Doesn't have to be official (some people think NW are fascists or otherwise terrible people), but just talking to your neighbours and asking them to keep an eye on your place if they happen to be in when you're out and vice versa.

I told my neighbours I was going to be away over Pesach, and asked them to keep an eye on the place. I said there were going to be a couple of women coming in and out whilst I was away (the painters) but anyone male going in shouldn't be. I thought I told them how long I'd be away for; they seem to have failed to pick it up, though; and told me, next time they saw me, they'd seen an unfamiliar man going in through the front door. Turns out that was my father, but it had been a thief, a fat load of good it would have done me telling me about it a week later.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Like where, if I want to live in a city? The above covers three different middle-class suburbs, of two different cities!

('Sides, having just bought a flat, moving again is definitely not the way to get rid of stress...)