Security system sign as a deterrent? Myth or fact

[lugnut]

How many of you have a sign (or signs) around your house saying you have a monitored security system?

Around my neighborhood I'd guess close to half the houses have an ADT sign, and they may or may not actually have an alarm. There are a few other companies but mostly the signs are ADT. I wonder if it is really a deterrent, or if burglers have more "respect" for certain companies over others.

Can you buy these signs even if you don't have a monitoring company?

What do you guys that have monitoring through companies like NextAlarm have as far as signage?

 

[Digger]

How many of you have a sign (or signs) around your house saying you have a monitored security system?

Around my neighborhood I'd guess close to half the houses have an ADT sign, and they may or may not actually have an alarm. There are a few other companies but mostly the signs are ADT. I wonder if it is really a deterrent, or if burglers have more "respect" for certain companies over others.

Can you buy these signs even if you don't have a monitoring company?

What do you guys that have monitoring through companies like NextAlarm have as far as signage?

You can easily buy the ADT signs on Ebay etc. NextAlarm provided me with a few signs and a bunch of window stickers free of charge.

I think it would only deter amatuers, however, only an amatuer would break into my house as I really dont have anything a "pro" would want.

 

[Steve]

Yea, NextAlarm provides lawn signs and window clings. But my city requires your alarm to be registered and you to display a sticker in a window closest to front door. So any thief that knows anything can easily see this sticker and know you have a registered alarm. I don't use the signs or clings.

 

[rfdesq]

I wonder if it is really a deterrent, or if burglers have more "respect" for certain companies over others.

I think it depends on how high the burglar is. I am a firm believer in signs and visible sirens/strobes. If you can deter them before they set foot in your yard the better off you are. I think even a sophisticated burglar would prefer to break into a house that has no protection than one that is alarmed/monitored. Here in California a big problem is that people do not set their alarms even in the big expensive homes. Burglars are aware that even though there may be a sign, there is a good chance the alarm isn't set and a door is left unlocked.

 

[IVB]

I dunno how effective this is for thieves, but i've had more than one neighbor look at the conduit-enclosed telco line going into my house and shake their head, and basically call me psycho. In my neighborhood, telco's go into the house 3' off the ground, shockingly easy to cut, and apparently even the teenage punk kids know that to disable a security system, all you gotta do is cut that line. There was an article in the local paper about it, which pissed lots of people off as they felt it was just advertising how easy it is to circumvent an armed system.

For the $25 that the metal-reinforced flex-tubing cost, I don't gotta worry about that. And interestingly enough, we've had MANY security system door-door salesman go around the neighborhood over the last several months, and even though all my neighbors get repeatedly harassed (incl the ADT signage folks), not one has stopped at my house.

 

[programmergeek]

IVB, good idea. When I had my old house resided I had them burry the lines under the new siding. But most houses they now have a NID box about 4' off the ground anyhow which is a real easy place to disconnect the telephone. Nice thing about the elk is my tele can be cut but it uses the internet, hopefully they won't think to cut the cable.

 

[nsisman]

I've has signs front and back for 10 years and never had an incident.

But then again I throw a handful of pepper into the back yard every spring to keep the hippo's away and that appears to be working too !

Neil

 

[upstatemike]

I've has signs front and back for 10 years and never had an incident.

But then again I throw a handful of pepper into the back yard every spring to keep the hippo's away and that appears to be working too !

Neil

I'm going to try that. I'm tired of hippos trashing my flower beds every year!

 

[Neurorad]

Digging up an old thread - I'm curious about where people bought their window stickers?

I like Elk's - doesn't say Elk. But pricey. I can order 100 special order with my ugly mug on it, for the same price as 100 Elk.

Any other solutions?

And I certainly wouldn't want ones that say Next Alarm.

Maybe I'll hit up my current local company for a bunch of decals, before my contract runs out next year.

 

[russban]

The signs are a deterrent to most burglars who are really looking for easy opportunities, they will usually not take the risk that you have an alarm. A determined thief who knows what he is doing and what he wants is another story. On Friday I signed up a new customer for an alarm install. I thought it was odd when I walked up to the door and saw the lawn sign and stickers for another company. Turns out he had been given the sign and stickers but never had an alarm installed. He was quite surprised last week when he was broken into and lost 3 TV's and a laptop! The burglars ruined 2 sliding glass doors trying to pry them open before finally just smashing the glass on one of them.

I often recommend to clients that we protect the phone lines with conduit and some do, some don't. I also usually put in security screws on the NID. Another alternative is installing a cellular backup which generally work great.

By the way, the above customers experience is why I have never sold my signs or stickers to people without an alarm install! It really looks bad to the neighbors who think "Must have been a pretty crappy alarm that company installed".

 

[sic0048]

As a side note - what about visable window contacts? We are always so concerned about how they look and most of us try to hide them. But I would think a thief seeing window contacts on all the windows might help deter them as well.

Thoughts.... comments....

 

[mdonovan]

As a side note - what about visable window contacts? We are always so concerned about how they look and most of us try to hide them. But I would think a thief seeing window contacts on all the windows might help deter them as well.

Thoughts.... comments....

I have been pondering this as well, and I believe I am going with the visible switches. They are pretty small now, and I have curtains on the window that I think will help keep them out of sight on the inside. I prefer to deter someone from breaking in in the first place, rather than catch them once they are in. But once they are in, I want to make their lives miserable!

Matt

 

[Madcodger]

Our house is surrounded with hedges around the front and sides of the property, near the street. This causes people entering the property to enter through the driveway (not a fence, but it focuses people's attention). I have a small sign posted about a foot off the ground at the side of the driveway, about 8" square, that notes the house is protected with a 24hour video surveillance system, and I've had many comments on it from people working on the house. In other words, they notice it and we noticed a sizable drop in people walking onto the property after I put it up. The other thing that seems to be a real deterrent is that when you walk onto the property at night, floodlights come on as soon as you pass through the hedges on the drive. For whatever reason, that also seems to be a real deterrent to people who want to get closer to the house at any time. I think it's the thought that they can be videoed before they even get close enough to cut the phone lines that acts as a deterrent. It's certainly not foolproof, but I think it helps.

 

[Dave X10]

How many of you have a sign (or signs) around your house saying you have a monitored security system?
..... I wonder if it is really a deterrent, or if burglers have more "respect" for certain companies over others.

I use stickers on the doors and windows. My Dad (a career police officer) believed signs worked and everything I've read supports that.

I also use a Outside Speaker and motion detector activated Voice Warnings that inform any tresspasser that the area is off site video monitored and that the alarm is on. If you turn up your speakers you can hear the warning on my YouTube Video. Or near the end of this longer Video.

 

[Neurorad]

Dave - pretty neat - voice warning. Would you mind, briefly, listing the components?