Are burglar alarm systems worth it in Hawaii?

[EightFingers]

I can see having one if you're in town or a subdivision, but if you're rural, is having one worth it? Our place will be about two miles from the brand-spanking-new police station, but do the police even bother with alarm calls?

[Bullwinkle]

I have mine set to call my cell phone first .......... silent alarm and one way out - grin

[bystander]

An alarm system with video cameras is worth it. I've heard and read about many burglars getting caught by the video surveillance.

http://www.hawaiipolice.com/archives/Arc...24-11.html

[sandflea]

I think the validity of an alarm depends on where you are. Where I am it is pretty rural and takes the police about 20 minutes travel time to get to my house if they come at all. Some years ago some residents got alarms and wound up disabling the alarm due to complaints from neighbors. They only use the call feature. But by the time the police get here, the burglar is long gone. I think a strong neighborhood watch is a better deterent here. I am also considering one of those internet based security systems that will take numerous pictures of someone breaking into my house. I also installed motion sensor security lights around the house.

[Kelena]

Larceny and burglary are prevalent in Hawaii. There are pros and cons to having such a system. If you are anywhere near the ocean, you will wish to pay extra for wire insurance or whatever it is called -- that is so they can maintain the system at no extra charge. Sensors go bad and give false alarms, which is nerve-wracking and guilt-inducing. Now that I am maintaining the system it works really well.

Police do come out, but they are no substitute for a good neighborhood watch, and good neighbors. And if I were on island, I would love to have a dog like my dear old boy, Ben who passed away in December at the ripe old age of 14 years and 5 months. Ben was a beautiful, big, Dalmatian who was basically very gentle (unless you were another dog in which case he was a little pushy). However, he had excellent hearing coupled with a big, booming bark that resonated in your chest.

I am quite certain he was a deterrent but it is hard to prove what didn't happen.

And so it is with alarms. It is hard to prove what didn't happen.

My place came with an alarm and so all I had to do was hook it up. I am glad I have it. More detail if you wish to e-mail me privately.

What I wish all of Puna came with was a stronger police presence and a more determined attitude toward the number one crime in Hawaii.

[Bullwinkle]

http://foscam.us/products/foscam-fi8904w...era-3.html

I have several of these hidden in the brush - keeping an eye on things _ I am able to access them from the road (internet) as well as having photos emailed to my addy if the cameras motion sensor is tripped

I get lots of photos of heavy rain and wind - grin

edit - link

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by Kelena...
Police do come out, but they are no substitute for a good neighborhood watch, and good neighbors....

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Get a big old redneck like I did!!

In addition, the NW and good neighbors are your best defense.

Coconut guy was sitting in our driveway when we were gone, 3 different people came and checked out what he was doing. (he was talking on his cell before he climbed the tree. Even after up in the tree one neighbor asked him if we had given him permission to cut coconuts and gave us description of truck and license #.)

[Carey]

Not sure you can have the alarms first call to the police.... when hubby was on the board at our church in Hilo, the first call was to the alarm service, then a board member (hubby was called out a few times...) then the police. and I seem to remember there was a $$ cost for a call out...(not sure wether it was the service or the police...)

[Kelena]

First they call the number you designate. They may also call the premises. Only if they cannot reach someone and if it looks like an actual alert (more than one sensor triggered) do they call the police. They call within moments.

On Oahu, the police do charge you at some point to come out. But that is not the case on the Big Island (yet). I do everything I can to avoid their having to come out.

[PaulW]

I think an alarm system is worth having. As for the police: they always get here fast, even though they have all been false alarms so far (as far as we could tell - maybe someone jiggled a window and ran when it went off).