Security alarms just give false hope

I read with great interest the article about the rise in burglaries in Modesto (Sept. 30, Page A-1): I was not surprised, but what piqued my interest was the ineffectiveness of burglar alarms. I have long believed that these were an expensive joke that give people a false sense of security.

Let us get real; burglars do not linger in a house. They grab what they can and get out. The alarm system gets an alert, then they call the authorities and then you have to wait for police to show up — if they have an officer available.

I do not fault the police when 99 percent of the alarms were false. I have heard this in my own neighborhood and so I just ignore them. Surveillance cameras might be a good deterrent to identify the burglars, provided they do not disguise their appearance with hoodies, etc.

Although cosmetically not what we want to do, install window bars and security doors. Not an alternative for everybody, but get a good, aggressive guard dog. It has long been known that they are the best security to robbery. The costly alarms do nothing but give you false hope.

ARLENE KENNEDY

Modesto