Home alarm monitoring has been rising steadily in the United States for several decades.  In the 1970’s, only 2% of American homes had any form of home alarm monitoring.  But with rising safety awareness, and advancements in home alarm monitoring technology, more and more homes are being secured.

By 2005, 32% of homes had home alarm monitoring, according to the Washington Post.  As home alarm monitoring has gone up, home burglaries have gone down.   According a National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the United States Justice Department, 29.8 of every 1,000 households were burglarized in 2003, compared with [ek1] 110 per 1,000 in 1973.  It seems there might be a correlation between increase in home alarm monitoring and decrease in burglaries. 

The Cost Falls, But The Value Remains

Part of the reason home alarm monitoring has risen so steadily is because the cost of installation and maintenance has gone down considerably over time.  According to research from J.P. Freeman Co., in 1990, a home security system cost an average of $1,509.  Today, you can get a five-star-rated, wired home alarm monitoring kit, complete with control panel, sirens, and up to 48 zones of motion sensor monitoring, for as little as $340, through www.homesecuritystore.com.  In addition, many home insurance companies offer a ten to fifteen percent discount on home insurance rates ifyou install a home alarm monitoring system.

Home alarm monitoring systems impart a great sense of security because, when activated and used correctly, they are the most effective way to prevent burglary, according to Simon Hakim, a professor of economics at Temple University in Philadelphia.  Hakim has researched home security since the early 1990s, and he has found that residences without home alarm monitoring systems are about three times more likely to be broken into as homes equipped with such systems.

Use It or Lose It

However, they key to safety from a home alarm monitoring system is vigilance.  You must always activate your alarm and its monitoring system every time you leave your house, and keep it activated even while you are at home.  “Alarms are only as good as we are at using them," says Jean F. O'Neil, director of research and evaluation at the National Crime Prevention Council, a nonprofit education organization. 

One Community Gets Wired Together

Home alarm monitoring is on the rise in the U.K. as well – with the help of a £500,000 home security project in the town of Aston, Cheshire, UK.  The Aston Pride Community Safety Team installed over 500 home alarm monitoring systems throughout the village in 2005.  In a community where there was once an average of 200 burglaries a year, there were only five in the month following the installation project.  The home alarm monitoring systems appear to be working.  Sgt Dave Shergold, of the Aston Pride Community Safety Team, said: "They have also been proven to make residents feel safe and confident in actually leaving their homes."

So far, there have been no reports of similar projects in the United States.  But as home alarm monitoring costs continue to fall, while their value remains almost priceless, perhaps more and more communities will take a similar stand against crime.  At the very least, you can secure your home with a home alarm monitoring system, knowing you’ll not only save money on insurance, but receive protection and peace of mind, guaranteed.