Bad times = good time to install intruder alarm

Bad times = good time to install intruder alarm



By Joyce Teo

Investing in your dream home is something many have done, but not many will think about investing in the protection of the property.

Given that the worsening economic climate may encourage more crime, it may be a good time to give this topic some thought.

The number of homes broken into fell to a 60-year low last year. At 829 cases, it was below the 866 cases registered in 2007, according to police data.

The low number of burglary cases was reportedly partly due to efforts to get home owners to lock up and fit alarms.

The police are anticipating a rise in crime this year as economic conditions weaken.

ADT Security Services' country manager Charles Lim said his firm has noted more intruder alarm cases of late, although these break-in attempts failed because the burglars fled when the alarms sounded.

While the weak economy could affect sales of home security or intruder alarm systems, two major security firms say they continue to get inquiries.

'Despite the challenging market conditions, inquiries are still coming in the past few months,' said Mr Arumugam Balakrishnan, regional general manager (South-east Asia) of UTC Fire & Security.

ADT said it witnessed a 17 per cent rise in inquiries about its home security systems in the second half of last year compared with the first. 'More people are asking about the systems or about upgrading their systems,' said Mr Lim.

The firms interviewed declined to provide information on actual business carried out.

In recent years, more HDB households - mostly young families in new HDB estates like Punggol - have subscribed to the service, said Mr Lim.

The firms said home security systems offer protection against intrusion, duress (when home owners are held by burglars), fire threats and medical emergencies.

Mr Lim said some of ADT's clients use its systems to monitor the elderly at home. The elderly person carries a waterproof transmitter that will alert the monitoring centre if there is a problem - for example, if he is unable to get up after a fall.

If there is a medical emergency, the elderly person can also press the button on the transmitter to connect to the centre and get help.

There are only a handful of big players in the monitored home security market here, including ADT, UTC and Certis Cisco.

The difference between a monitored system and a non-monitored system is that the former allows you access to 24-hour surveillance or intrusion detection service, said Certis Cisco.

ADT explained that a monitored system will be connected to a 24/7 monitoring centre which will receive a signal when there is an intrusion. Security professionals will then determine the nature of the emergency and alert the owner and relevant authorities immediately.

The good news for consumers is that home security systems have become more affordable.

ADT and Chubb, which is part of UTC, for instance, charge only for home security monitoring services and not the systems.

Consumers pay as little as $38 a month for the service but are tied to a minimum three-year contract. The charges can go up depending on needs.

For instance, a big house with more entry points would need more equipment compared with an HDB flat.

Some firms charge separate fees for the system and the monitoring service. The system, without the monitoring service, can cost from $800 to $2,000 each.

A basic wireless package should include a motion detector and magnetic door contract to detect the opening and closing of doors or windows.

'Some people go to fly-by-night players. They just want the system without the monitoring service. But it is like having a dog that doesn't bark,' said an industry source who declined to be named.

Unless they want to use the system only to check on their neighbours or maids, they should get a monitored system to protect their homes, he advised.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.