Are Alarm Systems REALLY Worth Having? – 3 Pros to Having an Alarm
There are over 2.5 million burglaries every year in the United States. 38% of assaults and 60% of rapes occur during a home invasion. An alarm system is an early warning device alerting occupants to take further action. Used in combination with security cameras a home drastically reduces the risk of harm and damage. Below are 3 pros to having an alarm system in your home:
1. Protect your home and family from intruders
It’s 2am, everyone in a home (without an alarm system) is asleep. An intruder breaks a basement window and enters without detection. The homeowner has a firearm locked in a safe under his bed but is unaware that anyone has entered his house. Everyone is now in danger!
STOP <<<REWIND
It’s 2am, everyone in a home (with an alarm system) is asleep. An intruder breaks a basement window, a glass break sensor is activated and the alarm sounds. The home owner grabs his gun from his safe and secures his family. The intruder flees as Police respond.
2. Protect your valuable assets
For most homeowners, the presence of a home alarm system is enough to deter burglars but when it is not, it serves an additional function. As well as alerting authorities that the home has been broken into and increasing the chances that intruders will be caught. Smart Cameras installed with many modern alarm systems catch the intruders in the act. Having visual documentation of the home intrusion increases the likelihood that the burglar will be identified for the crime committed. Video footage also helps homeowners create a record of what has been taken from their home during a burglary.
3. Save on homeowner’s insurance
Normally, homeowners receive a 10-20% discount on their insurance by having a functioning home alarm system installed. The cost of homeowners insurance is generally not taken into consideration by first time homeowners when buying their home, but a significant discount is generally given to homeowners with home security systems installed. The total discount given as a result of homes having security systems differs based upon the features of the system (for instance, a system monitored by a central monitoring station should provide a larger discount compared to one that is not monitored) and the amount of coverage purchased initially and the company offering the insurance.