Interesting point.It strikes me that the vast majority are simply ignored.However I would investigate if a close neighbour's alarm went off and I was friendly with them.It is a sad fact of London living that few people know their neighbours to any great extent.My approach to burglar alarms is to deter the burglar once they gain entry. Yes, have an external bell and, with luck, this will scare many of them off.However my view (and bitter experience) is that many burglars know exactly what they want and plan to stay around for only the few tens of seconds it takes to get in, steal whatever they plan to, and then get out again.The owner of the property thus has maybe ten seconds in which to make their point - after which there is a chance that they will be too late.Consequently I fit to the inside of the property sirens, lights, and other devices, all linked to the alarm panel and designed to cause pain and disorientation resulting in a much earlier, empty handed, exit than they originally planned.The details must I'm afraid remain vague on a public forum such as this. Suffice to say that I am a professional electronic engineer who knows their way around this kit.For those of you who are misguided enough to be concerned about the welfare of the poor old burglar please be aware that, deeply unpleasant though my discouragements are designed to be, they ALL, without exception, remain within the bounds of the law and will cause no harm (unlike police tasars) - just prevent further ingress and send the very clear signal to get the f*ck off my property pronto!Details, for those interested, are available by email. Be aware however that full implementation requires quite a bit of engineering (including civil), not all measures may be suitable for households with pets (due to the possibility, nay likelihood, of them being left severely traumatised by the shock* after activation) and carries a very high WAF** premium in order to get the initial permission to proceed with the installation.[* No, not literally a shock as in electrical shock - no electrodes are applied to bodily extremities even though I might very well think that such treatment is only what the thieving toerags deserve!][** WAF = Wife Approval Factor]
Tony Colliver ● 4786d