Do Burglar Alarm Signs Alone Really Deter Break-ins?

Yes!! and...No.

Having a sign in your front yard and/or stickers in your windows that indicate that your house is protected by an active alarm system does indeed deter would-be criminals from choosing to burglarize your home over your neighbor's..

.under most circumstances. Not all would be thieves or criminals follow this pattern, though, and there are other things you can do to augment this tactic and improve its effectiveness.

The Mind of a Criminal

People who burglarize homes tend to do so only after considerable research into the home they are going to hit. If your home ever gets broken in to, the odds are that the thieves were watching you for days, weeks, or even months before the day that they invaded your house. They learned your patterns, when you came, when you left, what time you went to sleep and if you have any goods they want in plain view - that only encouraged them.

Criminals are not out looking for a difficult time. If your home is well-defended or guarded enough, you can deter all but the most professional and determined thief from considering your property for a hit. Signs in your yard that indicate an alarm system are good and will deter all casual thieves almost immediately. The more dedicated ones will not stop at simply seeing a sign or two, rather they will look for other things that confirm the presence (and active use) of an alarm system. Other signs that your home should have as visible from the outside include outdoor lighting, a speaker for a siren, and you turning toward an internal keypad to disable the alarm system every time you enter your house.

If a thief is interested enough in your home, they will take the time to look for additional indicators beyond those signs in your yard and on your windows. If you do not have these indicators, they may decide that what your house has to offer is worth the risk of triggering an alarm if one really exists, because triggering an alarm during an intrusion is usually a zero-risk affair: You break in, the alarm starts beeping, you close the door, turn around get in your car and are long gone before anyone else arrives.

Additional 'Fake' Protections

Aside from the signs that indicate you have an alarm, there are other things you can purchase or do to convince would-be burglars that your home will not be an easy target for them.

• Invest in outdoor flood lights - the kind that come on when they detect motion. These are often part of an advanced alarm kit, and burglars hate seeing them, even though the majority of home invasions happen during the day.
• Invest in a siren - you don't have to hook it up to anything, just install it at a corner of your house toward the front. The determined thief will be looking for that as additional proof that your home is protected.
• Act like you have an alarm - This includes reaching for a keypad when you enter the house, double-checking your door to make sure it is shut before you leave, and opening/closing a door before you leave. Real alarm owners do all of these things occasionally and it is visible from the outside if someone is scouting your house.
• Lock your doors and windows and keep them locked - Try to imagine that when you leave your home for work next time, a thief will come to your home and check its security by trying to open windows all around the outside. If they find one open, they may not choose to burglar your home there and then, rather they will sometimes enter your home and unlock a different window that you usually keep locked.

Burglar alarm signs are a good investment. Depending on what kind of thief you have casing your neighborhood, they could well mean the difference between being robbed, and hearing stories from your neighbor who was robbed.