I have been receiving questions lately about residential burglar alarm systems, and specifically about door to door sales of alarm systems. While a home burglar alarm system can be a worthwhile home security investment, there are things every one should know about these systems before they sign a monitoring contract.
In some neighborhoods there has been a significant increase in residential burglary, and as soon as those numbers go up, the number of door to door pitches for home security systems also rises. Unfortunately, many of these pitches play on people's fears, and they can be very effective in neighborhoods where anxiety about burglary and other crimes is high. However, these high pressure tactics don't allow for a thoughtful decision.
According to Crime Prevention Specialist Don Greeley of the Minneapolis Police Department's 3rd Precinct, "There are several very good reasons not to purchase alarm systems from a door to door salesperson, especially on the spur of the moment. The most important is that you don't have time to research the company. Are they legitimate? How do you know they will back up the commitments they are making?...Are they even qualified to install the equipment so that it works properly?" When you purchase a monitored home alarm system, you're entering into a contractual relationship with the service provider, and if things go wrong, you may be stuck with a contract that you can't get out of.
There are some basic questions you should ask before purchasing an alarm system. Will the alarm company back up their equipment and service if there are problems with it? Is the equipment under warranty? Does the purchase price include equipment service or do you have to buy a separate service contract, beyond the purchase price, to have repairs made? Is the monitoring company even the same as the company soliciting door to door? Will they pay for false alarms caused by their equipment failure?
As Greeley says, "Don't allow yourself to be pressured to buy from someone who shows up at your door step. If they are reputable they will leave you a brochure, so you can contact them if you decide that you are interested in buying an alarm system."
Before purchasing an alarm system, everyone should take a good look at whether there are other things they can do to reduce their risk of burglary. Ask your MPD Crime Prevention Specialist to conduct a free home security survey first. There are many low cost or no cost things that you can do to improve your home's security that are more important than installing an alarm system. You may decide that you don't need an alarm system at all.
Over 90 percent of residential burglar alarm calls are false alarms. While Minneapolis Police do respond to these alarm calls, the high incidence of false alarms means that other "crime in progress" calls may take a higher priority and delay a police response.
In an effort to reduce the number of false alarms, and defray the costs of responding to them, Minneapolis has instituted a fine structure for false alarms. After the first false alarm, you will be required to pay a $30 fee to register your alarm system with the city. (There is no registration fee for home owners with no false alarms.) The second false alarm to your address will result in a $100 fine.
The fine for subsequent false alarms increases by $100 per incident. If you have too many false alarms, the city will flag your address and the police may not respond at all. (They will of course respond to other calls. If a neighbor calls 911 saying that they see someone climbing through one of your windows or trying to break into your home, the police will respond. That is generally a high priority call. That's also another reason to have an active block club/ neighborhood watch on your block.)
Don't be pressured or frightened into buying an alarm system from someone who knocks on your door, no matter how enticing his pitch may be. A reputable company will allow you time to think about their offer and compare products and services before buying. In most cases, you're entering into a long term contract and you can wind up paying far more than you expected for a system that doesn't meet your expectations.
If you are considering an alarm system, contact your local MPD Crime Prevention Specialist and discuss it with him. He can help you decide whether or not you really need one, and if there are other, less expensive, (and more effective) measures you can take.