The Cost of Alarm Monitoring vs. the Cost of a Break-In
Property crime in the United States is costly. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, property crimes in 2018 resulted in an estimated $16.4 billion of losses.
The Cost of Crime
Larceny-theft is the most common of all property crimes, accounting for 73.4 percent. Larceny-theft is defined as the unlawful taking, carry, leading, or riding away of property from the possession of another. Shoplifting falls into this category.
- The average value of the property taken during a larceny-theft is $1,153.
- Burglary is the second most common property crime and is defined as the act of entering a building or car with the intent of committing a crime. Residential property burglaries account for 62.8 percent of all burglary offenses. The average dollar loss for a burglary is $2,799.
With the rise of online shopping, porch piracy is also a costly type of theft year-round. The thieves don’t have to break into anything—they walk up to your front porch and take what they want. An estimated 36 percent of Americans are the victims of porch pirates, according to recent research, and nearly half of those have had packages stolen multiple times.
- The average cost to replace the items stolen from porches is $109.
According to interviews with 86 inmates currently serving time for burglary, merely being able to see a security camera would keep them from breaking into a home. If they did break into a home and a security alarm went off, they would leave immediately.
The average price for home security monitoring services starts at $27 a month—comparable to what most of us pay for music and media entertainment subscriptions each month. This cost is also reasonable when you consider the peace of mind and protection it brings from property crimes that can cost you thousands of dollars.
Plus, you can recoup some of the cost of your monitoring from discounts on your home insurance coverage. Home insurance companies offer policy deductions for those willing to invest in a monitored alarm system because they know it will save them money.
If you are considering installing a security system for your home or business and want to learn more about your options, call us for a free estimate. FSS can monitor your fire alarm, burglar alarm, or security cameras all without breaking the bank.
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