At the March 13th meeting of the IMPD East District Task Force, guest speakers from two local alarm companies made presentations. Brian Weatherford of Multiguard Corporation said at the least you would probably want a motion sensor with a video camera option. This system provides a live feed directly to the company when an alarm is triggered. The company then reviews the video before calling 911 so you are not charged for false alarms caused by ransacking raccoons or a branch swaying in the wind setting off the alarm. The camera can be set up for infrared detection as well. If an intruder is caught on tape, 911 is called and dispatched to your home and the clip can be e-mailed to you so it can be provided as evidence to the IMPD investigators. Chris Koschnick of Guardhouse Security Services told us his company offers systems very similar to those of Multiguard. He added that medical and emergency alerts, fire and smoke detection, and both landline and cell phone connection are available as well.
There are some great advantages to having a home security system, if for no more than the peace of mind it can bring that your home is protected whether you are there or not. Some systems even provide an option for you to connect your monitoring system to your phone or computer if you just want to check it for yourself. Prices vary according to the options chosen and the company used but be sure you know what you’re paying for before having one installed.
Also it’s important to understand what a security system will and will not do for you. Services vary by plan and company, but let’s say you’ve chosen a good quality video camera triggered by motion, with an infrared capability so there is an image even in a dark room. An intruder breaks into your home while you’re away, the alarm goes off and the personnel at the company begin monitoring the feed from your cameras. They verify that it is, indeed, a burglary in progress and call 911 with all the appropriate information. Altogether, this has probably taken 3-4 minutes on average. An officer is dispatched immediately to your home and arrives in less than 10 minutes. But consider this: The average burglary takes approximately 8 minutes from the time they break in until they are out the door with all your jewelry and electronics. So what good would a security system do you if the burglary has been completed before an officer can arrive?
For one thing, having officers on the scene as soon after the burglary as possible allows them to look for evidence while it is still fresh. If you’re away on spring break and the crime is not reported for a week, much of the evidence may already have disappeared. A second benefit to having the security system is that the burglary has been caught on tape. If the quality is good enough, they can use it to help identify the criminal and it can be provided to the Prosecutor’s office to be used as evidence in a trial.
Daphne Whitmire of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office was an attendee at the Task Force meeting and said they rarely get a good video to assist in convicting burglars but it would certainly be helpful to them. The video will also help to document what was stolen. Daphne emphasized that you should keep a home inventory sheet listing all major electronics and appliances (at a minimum) with a record of the type, model, and serial number. Anything of value should be engraved with your name on it to help identify it. If the police find a cache during an arrest which includes six wide screen TVs, it’s impossible to identify which one is yours without such a list. If you can provide the inventory information when making your report to the police, they can contact you if your property is recovered.
In addition to being part of an active Neighborhood Crime Watch group, a home security system is certainly something to think about. If you are considering installation of a system, talk to several companies and compare services in addition to cost. Understand what you are buying, and what it will or will not do. Just having a security system can be a deterrent in itself because it’s always safer for a burglar to break into a home without security than it is to take a chance of being caught on tape.
The next IMPD East District Task Force meeting will be held on April 10th at 6:30 p.m. at IMPD East District Headquarters, 201 N. Shadeland (the old Eastgate shopping mall), south entrance. If you have a specific topic you would like to have addressed at the meeting, please contact Officer Tammie Peters at 327-6267.