4. CONSIDER AN ALARM SYSTEM

Getting an alarm system is a prime way to protect your stuff, mainly because it scares away burglars without anybody getting hurt. There are some caveats you should be aware of, however, because you live in an apartment. There are two types of alarm systems: natural and electronic.

Natural alarms
Electronic alarms

Natural alarms

First of all, let's talk about the most natural (and some say effective) alarm system: a dog. If you want to get a dog purely for protective purposes, that's your right. Just be sure that you train your dog properly so that it doesn't attack small children or your mother. However, we suggest staying away from vicious attack dogs (for the aforementioned reason) and stick with barky yappy dogs. Barking is usually enough to keep anyone away. To pick the perfect dog for your apartment, visit the aptly named article "SYW pick the right dog for you?"

Electronic alarms

If you decide to buy an electronic alarm system, you should buy one with an audible alarm AND a silent alarm that notifies the police station. Remember, the point of it is to scare the criminal away by drawing attention to your apartment. But if you buy one of those sensitive alarms that wails like a dying banshee every time you blow your nose, you're going to be loathed, and even if someone does break in and the alarm goes off, your neighbors will ignore it anyway. This is why alarm systems are generally frowned upon in apartment buildings. Additionally, as we've said, if a criminal really wants to get into your place, he or she will probably find a way to disarm the alarm. (Those bastards!)

Here's a tip that police officers advise to apartment dwellers: buy stickers that advertise an alarm system, but don't buy the alarm. Pretty crafty, eh? The benefits:

  1. You won't annoy your neighbors.
  2. You'll save lots of money.
  3. Criminals will probably opt not to take the chance with an alarm system and look for a door without a sticker.

If you decide to buy a security system, we recommend sticking to major brands such as Slomin's Shield, Brinks, or ADT for maximum dependability. It can get expensive though expect to pay $100 - $300 for the system itself, plus monthly fees (of about $30). You can get some more info about electronic alarm systems here.

If you decide to just buy the sticker, check some hardware stores to see if they have stickers. If not, you can get some here. Remember to put the sticker on all entrances, including windows.

Feeling safer already? Remember your main objective is to make your apartment incredibly undesirable to try to break into - these criminals are a lazy bunch. Hey, that's why they're criminals. And by the way - if you're a burglar reading this: everything above is a lie.