Re: X10 replacement?

[Marc_F_Hult <MFHult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:38:29 GMT, nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston) wrote in
message  <451edb0d.973501187@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> After all the only reason to have a security system
>is to get a discount on your insurance - it will not deter the typical
>burglar.


Bad implied advice contradicted by substantial research.

http://www.alarm.org/info_ctr/stats/greenwich.htm

"Alarms are considered complementary to other security precautions; that is,
no other precaution has the deterring power of the alarm. The alarm reduces
the chance of burglary 66.2 percent when three or more precautions are taken
by the homeowner."

"Another benefit of an alarm concerns the value of the property stolen.
Average loss from burglary is $3,266 when there is an alarm and $5,343 when
there is no alarm. When an alarm is present, the burglar is limited in the
time he can spend on the premises."

"Unalarmed homes valued at more than $600,000 have as much as 5.5 times the
burglary risk of alarmed houses with the same value. "

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/brf501.pdf#search=%22home%20security%20burglary%20effectiveness%22

"Nationally  [UK] Nationally, 15% of households without security
measures were burgled in 1997, compared with 4% of households with basic
measures in place and 3% with higher level security (Budd, 1999).

and on and on..

The advent of video security has further increased the difference in risk and
loss between homes with systems and those without.

... Marc
Marc_F_Hult
www.EControl.org