The Greater Sudbury Police Service has been collecting statistics for approximately the past five months on the occurrences of break and enters, and the presence and effectiveness of home alarm systems.
Results were shocking even to members of the department, said Deputy Chief Frank Elsner.
“What we found was the vast majority of break-ins – mainly residential – either didn't have alarms or the alarms weren't turned on,” he said, concluding alarm systems are a major asset in protecting people's homes.
In December 2007, there were 31 incidents of residential break and enters recorded. Of those, 30 were without an alarm, and one had an alarm but was not activated. Comparatively, in November 52 incidents were reported, 43 of which were not alarmed and five with unactivated alarms.
People still believe alarms are ineffective but the stats prove otherwise, Elsner said, adding he was one of those people.
“I wasn't convinced of the effectiveness of alarms but now that I've seen the numbers, we're investing in an alarm for our home,” he said. “An alarm – especially an audible one – works as a tool to dissuade people from breaking in. Also, signs on your window showing you have an alarm adds to its effectiveness.”
For information on alarm systems, including how to choose the right one, visit the Canadian Security Association's website at www.canasa.org.
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
