TALKING: Security; Systems Getting Smarter - The New York Times
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`February 5, 1989
`
`TALKING: Security; Systems Getting Smarter
`
`By ANDREE BROOKS
`
`DURING the last decade, as centrally monitored electronic security systems were being installed in ever-
`increasing numbers in single-family houses - about 1 in 12 now has such a system, according to a 1988
`survey by Security Distributing and Marketing magazine - they turned out to be something of a mixed
`blessing.
`
`Such systems use sensors in doors, windows, mats and beams to monitor any type of abnormal pattern
`that might signal an intruder or a crisis, such as a fire. Alarms are connected by wire or radio to privately
`operated central monitoring stations.
`
`The procedure is for the station's duty officer to phone the house as soon as an alarm goes off to
`determine if there is a real problem. If nobody is home to confirm or cancel the alert, an emergency call is
`immediately made to the appropriate service.
`
`While homeowners with these electronic watchdogs may have in the past felt - and indeed may have been
`- more secure, the systems often created more problems than protection. Shortcomings in the early
`systems, along with careless or inexperienced handling, triggered outcries from police and fire officials
`who were being diverted from crucial duties to respond to false alarms. Buzzers were going off when all
`that was happening was, say, a dog trotting across the living room carpet.
`
`Indeed, the result has already been an avalanche of punitive local ordinances, especially in areas like
`Westchester County, which has a higher-than-average number of such systems. As a result, any
`homeowner whose alarm generates a false call is increasingly likely to be fined as much as $200 a year,
`depending on how many false alarms he chalks up, much like traffic violations. A few towns, like New
`Canaan, Conn., which started imposing fines in 1987, will allow up to three false calls a year before fines
`begin.
`
`Some particularly hard-hit communities, such as White Plains, have now gone one step further, requiring
`each property owner who installs a system to register it with the municipality. Typically, that city charges
`$25 plus $15 for every annual renewal. According to Capt. James Harding, supervisor of detectives, there
`were 3,243 emergency calls triggered by electronic systems in 1988 and only 70 turned out to be genuine
`crises.
`
`Under the circumstances, does it make sense to bother with an electronic security system? What does one
`cost to buy, install and operate? And have there been any improvements that might make them more
`reliable (able to tell a dog from a burglar, for instance) and therefore more useful?
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`TALKING: Security; Systems Getting Smarter - The New York Times
`Perhaps the most important change has been in the technology. Advanced computerized systems can
`now do far more than provide a burglar-resistant environment.
`
`They can sense, for example, when a heating system fails or the basement floods, alert a medical team if
`an infirm person who has been left alone requires emergency aid, turn on certain inside lights when the
`front door is opened, sound a buzzer if a toddler strays into a pool area, turn up the thermostat or start
`the oven by telephone command and do dozens of other handy tasks.
`
`Thus it may be well worth paying a little extra to incorporate this property management capability,
`known in the industry as a ''unity'' system, rather than simply install a security system. Morever, even if
`security is the primary goal, the newer systems are so sophisticated they can do the job a lot better and
`more accurately than in the past.
`
`They can be programmed, for example, to sound an alarm in certain rooms while ''by-passing'' others if
`the owner is expecting a repair or maintenance man. They can even differentiate between a dog and an
`intruder by being set to trigger an alarm only when an object of a minimum weight or height crosses a
`floor.
`
`TAKE for example, the experience of Mark Lavender, a New York City apparel manufacturer, and his
`wife, Martha. A self-described ''electronics buff,'' Mr. Lavender was well aware that a monitoring system
`could do far more for his family than simply make their home safer, even doing that rather well.
`
`So, having decided to install an electronic security system while renovating the family home in North
`Stamford, Conn., 18 months ago, he made sure it could also warn a central monitoring station of freezing
`pipes, among other ''convenience'' features. He added a battery back-up power supply, since the area was
`prone to power outages.
`
`The Lavender family paid about $7,000 for the integrated system. A simple perimeter security system
`probably would have ranged from $1,500 to $3,000, depending on the number of features included,
`according to Kenneth Weiner, president of Prompt Security Systems, which handled the installation.
`
`Indeed, there are now so many options and so many opportunities for customizing the installation that
`''you should start by telling any salesman exactly what you would like your system to do,'' said Anne
`Armel, editor of Security Distributing and Marketing magazine. Moreover, she said, the ''user-
`friendliness'' of most systems has sharply improved so ''you are less likely to make mistakes.''
`
`People with pets or small children are nevertheless strongly advised by the National Burglar and Fire
`Alarm Association to be partcularly careful about the potential for false alarms, and to have their systems
`designed accordingly. And also to find out about any local regulations, such as a registration system.
`
`A budget for a system should factor in central monitoring. This costs about $100 for the hook-up charge
`and $20 a month, on average. However, those charges increase with the complexity and
`comprehensiveness of the system or improvements being monitored.
`
`What about effectiveness? There is no reliable evidence that the systems actually prevent robberies,
`although ''anything that slows down or deters somebody is probably worth the money,'' according to
`
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`TALKING: Security; Systems Getting Smarter - The New York Times
`Captain Harding of the White Plains police. He cautions, however, that criminals have a tendency to
`develop ways to bypass any type of security system as fast as new super-security techniques are devised.
`
`Useful tips are contained in a five-page booklet called ''Considerations When Looking for a Burglar
`Alarm System,'' published by the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. Send $2 to: NBFAA, 1120
`19th Street N.W., Suite LL-20, Washington, D.C. 20036.
`
`Drawing
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