Back in the day, alarms were obnoxiously loud. Though that gave a sense of security to the owner, some neighbors had complaints. And when the owner didn’t bother to check an alert, it would feel like a nuisance to everyone living in that area.
A lot of other reasons added up to this, leading to the invention of silent alarm.
As this is a matter of vigilance, you must choose the one that fits your needs the best.
Alarm’s Psychological Effect On The Intruder
Many think that loud alarms can scare away the intruder. This is true to some extent as the criminal will know that cops are on the way and thus flee away as soon as he can. We can’t expect the same if the intruder is cold-blooded.
There is also a theory that a loud alarm makes the intruder act fast and finish the business (we mean, crime) before the security forces show up. Now, this makes us rethink.
Silent alarms, on the other hand, do not evoke any fear in the intruder, and he may continue the crime until the police team arrives. So, they can catch the perpetrator in the act.
Alerting The Neighbors
When someone breaks into your house, there are hardly chances for you to send emergency texts or call your next-door neighbor for help.
A loud alarm does this job for you.
Loud alarms with their sound, sends alerts not only to the intruder but to everyone in the locality. If your neighbors are friendly and helping, they might even team up to come to your rescue.
You can’t expect this from a silent alarm. You will have to be brave enough to hold on (and fight back, if necessary) until you receive help from the police as the alarm sends immediate alerts to them.
Location
If you live in a secluded area where the neighborhood is sparsely populated and the police headquarters are miles away, a loud alarm’s siren gives no significant benefits.
The intruder obviously checks out the neighborhood before breaking in. Alarm’s sound will remind him that there’s no one around to help you.
However, installing a loud alarm is ideal if you live in a closely-knit community.
Silent alarms work the same no matter where you live.
Note that the time range within which cops can show up is dependent on geographical factors irrespective of the alarm’s sound range.
Space And Durability
Loud alarms need speakers. That means they consume more power and can wear out sooner. If not the alarm, the speakers can wear off due to weather conditions.
Their sound travels clearly only in a confined space (like a car or a small/medium house, for example). If the space is vast, the sound can get lost in it, making a loud alarm futile.
Silent alarms consume less power and need batteries only to send emergency signals to the police. So, they last longer than the louder counterparts. They don’t need much maintenance from the owner too.
If we keep listing the pros and cons, it will not end any soon. But, these few points are to give you a basic idea about what each type has to offer and what needs each one caters to.
Whether you choose to install a loud alarm system or a silent one, combine it with high-quality audio and video surveillance for utmost safety. This boosts the quickness of action from cops as the amount of danger you’re in, would be visible and audible. Even if the intruder escapes, he will leave behind that evidence.
Though intruders take precautions to not be seen in the video, audio recordings can act as a backup.
Each type of alarm has its benefits. You can also get a combination of both loud and silent alarms and get them installed according to your demands. Thanks to technology, panic alarms are customizable.
