Stumbled on a stat that 40% of false alarms come from just 3 types of sensors...

Was reading through a municipal report from Chicago last night on their false alarm fines and it hit me. Motion detectors in hallways with pets, window sensors near loose frames, and glass breaks near air vents. Three things. I've been doing this 8 years and never realized how concentrated the problem is. That's almost half of all callouts right there. Has anyone else run into a stat like this from their local PD or county records?

3 comments

3 Comments

linda_butler2826d ago

Read a similar stat in a security magazine last month, crazy how much those three types dominate everything.

lisa83920d ago

Oh, that's a really good point about regional differences. I've noticed the same thing with glass break sensors being way more of a problem in older parts of town where windows rattle more from traffic or old HVAC units. It makes sense that building stock and local weather would change which sensors cause trouble.

tarab5426d ago

Linda, I think the magazine was probably referring to something a bit different. That 40% figure is usually for commercial properties, not residential homes. The report I was looking at was specifically about citywide false alarms, so it covers everything from apartments to warehouses. The three sensor types are the same, but the breakdown might vary a lot depending on where you are. Motion detectors in hallways are the biggest culprit everywhere I've checked, but the glass break and window sensor issues seem to be more of a regional thing based on old building stock.