subject: Mississippi Crime Wave: Home Security in the South [print this page] Mississippi Crime Wave: Home Security in the South
Both rural and urban homeowners can benefit from home security that goes beyond the basic prevention steps, though. These systems vary greatly in price, complexity, and ease of installation. Today, there are a few basic variations. The first is a "standalone" system, that isn't monitored by an alarm company. This isn't usually recommended, because it eliminates one of the key functions of an alarm system (the monitoring). It's cheaper, but isn't as effective, and can lead to costly and irritating false alarms. The second is a wired system, that is hard-wired through the walls and has devices like door alarms, window alarms, and motion detectors throughout the home. These are a great option for new construction, but can be time-consuming and expensive in older homes. The last option is newer, and has come down in price substantially in recent years: wireless home alarms. These systems operate by infrared, and can be mounted anywhere in the house. They communicate wirelessly with an alarm control panel. These are then monitored by a company 24 hours a day.
