Are you thinking about purchasing a home alarm system or security camera? There is no shortage of choices for both. You keep asking yourself which is more valuable - a monitored alarm system or a home security camera?
The ideal security solution would have both a monitored alarm system and a home security camera. Together they can protect the outside and inside of your home. The deterrent value of both is tremendous, so when you place them together in a security solution you get incredible peace of mind. However, if we are looking at only getting one for a location, the security system is more valuable.
Statistics show that homes with monitored alarm systems are three times less likely to have a break-in than those without. Monitored alarm systems work by deterring and detecting burglars. As proof that they work, insurance companies give a reduction in a homeowner’s insurance if they have a monitored alarm system.
Cameras provide peace of mind by allowing the homeowner to remotely view the property. They also record video clips of situations that occur at the location. The issue is that cameras are self-monitored. This means that the user has to respond to any alarm event, as opposed to a 24/7 trained professional.
With a monitored alarm system, the customer gets notified, then a trained central station operator can assess the situation and respond accordingly. This is done regardless of the homeowner reacting to the alarm event. It’s a proactive response, while a camera is a reactive response.
Imagine there’s a burglary at your home. The camera will show you that there’s a burglar, but now the responsibility is yours to respond to the situation. What if you’re at work and can’t see your phone? What if you’re on an airplane? Or what if you’re just not by your phone? Or you do see the video, but it’s delayed an hour or so after the break-in happened. What do you do then?
The same situation occurs but you have a monitored alarm system. The onus isn’t yours to respond to the situation, but instead it’s the responsibility of the alarm company doing the monitoring. These trained professionals are ready to assess the situation and respond accordingly 24/7. If they are unable to get in contact with the homeowner, they will then contact necessary first responders.
Think of it like this, a home alarm and a home security camera together make up an ice cream sundae. The alarm system is the ice cream and the camera is the whip cream. Together they are amazing, however independently only the ice cream has substance. The whip cream on its own provides minimal value.
In conclusion ideally get a security solution that has both a monitored home alarm system and a camera. But if you can only have one or the other, the monitored alarm system provides more value than the home security camera.
