YOUNGSTOWN Cop has tips for alarm systems

Renting equipment is probably preferable to allow for frequent technology advances, the detective said. But one resident said he still prefers a dog.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Selecting a home security alarm system should be a highly individualized process; a one-size-fits-all approach isn't workable, experts say.
"There are several questions that you need to ask yourself if you're considering an alarm system: Do you really need one? How much of a system do you really need? Can you afford it? And how do you handle technology?" Detective Jack Palma of the city police department told the Southern Boulevard Block Watch at this month's meeting.
"Once you answer these questions, you have to ask yourself two more: What do I want to protect? And how extensive do I want that protection to be?" he added.
In determining the need for a home security alarm system, a homeowner should consider whether the neighbors do a good job of looking out for one another. If one's neighbors regularly watch other's homes, such a system probably isn't necessary, he said.
Otherwise, he said, "It's a good investment."
False alarms
The ability of household members to handle the technology is important because police departments may be discouraged from responding or charge fees after a certain number of false alarms in a year. Fire departments also may reduce their level of response and charge fees if a certain house generates too many false alarms, he said.
It is advantageous to be able to leave work immediately and return home quickly to meet police if the alarm is triggered, he said. "If your neighbor has a key to your house, you have to train him how to work the alarm also," he added.
Palma said he recommends obtaining both burglar and fire alarm services because adding fire alarm protection is relatively inexpensive. He also said an audible alarm on the premises to scare off burglars is a good idea. "You want the biggest siren you can get," he advised.
A company with a Mahoning Valley office would likely be able to provide better customer service, but the location of the alarm monitoring station is less important than the number and diligence of people monitoring round-the-clock and the number of alarms they monitor, he said. "If you have 20,000 alarms connected to a center in Minnesota, and you have two people in the room, they may miss it, or they may not see it right away," when an alarm triggers, he observed.
Keeping up with technology
Renting the alarm equipment in one's home is probably preferable to buying it to allow for frequent technology advances, he said.
"We like to customize the system. The options for security systems are endless," said Larry Harwell, service manager for the locally owned and operated SOS Security Systems of Canfield. Home designs and characteristics vary widely, and alarms can be for burglary, fire, and medical purposes, he noted.
One block watch president said he thinks a dog is the best security investment. An alarm can be triggered by children throwing rocks at a house, and police can't take action in the absence of eyewitnesses to the rock-throwing, said Ken Dressel, a dog owner and president of the East Earle Avenue Block Watch.
"If a dog barks, you're going to go see what the dog barks about. And, usually, if a dog barks, the kids are going to run. They'll run from a dog quicker than they'll run from an alarm system," he observed.
"I'd rather feed the animals, and know that I can depend on them better than I can depend on that alarm going off when I don't get any help," he concluded.