How safe is The Villages
 

A new resident recently posted a question about whether to have an alarm system installed in their new home. I was surprised at the number of people who said, "no, it's not necessary in the Villages."

I disagree with that assessment. Not because it's The Villages, but because this is 2011 and this is now. I think I'm fairly safe in saying that most people have auto insurance, golf cart insurance, health insurance and home owners insurance. I think too, that most people would not do without those insurances. I firmly believe in the insurance offered by a whole house alarm system. For both fire and intrusion.

I think is a little dangerous to begin believing that The Villages is "so safe" that the insurance of an alarm system is totally unnecessary. So much so that one would offer as advice to another, to not install one. How awful would you feel if, as a result of that advice, an alarm was not installed and there was a fire or theft that turned deadly. Of my 5 closest friends in the Villages, 4 of them have whole house alarm systems.

The Villages is surrounded on all sides by cities that have their share of poverty, crime and unemployment. Is it conceivable that those people don't know about The Villages, and don't have the notion that residents are living like "millionaires?"

Those of us who have at least 10 years of memory of Villages living remember the rash of burglaries about 4 years ago. Some at night, some during the day, and many while the residents were at home. The 'Bubble" is not unbreakable. One evening, as my wife was leaving the house for her evening walk, a deputy stopped her and asked where she was going. When she told him, he said, "not tonight, you're not, we have a suspect holed up in one of these yards around here."

Those who choose to not have an alarm system are within their rights to do so. Advising others to not do it because the Villages is so safe, I think, is not prudent.

As for my wife and me: we sleep much better at night knowing that our whole house alarm systems is awake and is on guard for our safety.

JLK

Very difficult to have a dog and an alarm, as sometimes your dog will walk around during the night and set off the motion detector. I think many villagers feel safe with their pets.:blahblahblah::blahblahblah:

The motion sensors are not activated during night monitoring. Only the perimeter sensors. I agree that many villagers with dogs feel a certain degree of safety.

To me, the best security system is a big dog with a big dog bark and nosey neighbors.
Alarms have their purpose but for me that would be in addition to, not instead of the dog and watchful eyes in the neighborhood.

Don't exclude without knowing facts
 

This is another misconception that could discourage a person who's never seen the system design possibilities from getting one. We've had whole-house alarm systems in our homes over the last 20+ years. There are many kinds of sensors, like glass-breakage, door and window opening, etc. besides motion sensors. A person can also have various kinds of sensors in various zones.

In the end, the homeowner can set various levels of protection when arming the system. At the control panel, it can be set up to both include or exclude some of the types of sensors. Like talk host, we always set the perimeter-only alarms, like doors, windows, and glass breakage at night or when we are around and staying inside.

On another note: A dog barking is definitely good protection and we have one. But, I've always been skeptical as to how much good a dog is if an armed intruder simply shoots the dog dead. It takes 2 seconds. Then, it's onward to beat, rape and kill occupants who could be sleeping or just unaware and are in the way of ransacking the place.

We have an alarm simply because we have always had an alarm and have gotten used to the feeling of security it gives us. For us it's almost like a seat belt in a car....we have gotten so used to wearing them that it feels strange to not wear one. It is absolutely not a reflection on the safety of tv, it's just a low cost personal choice.

To add on to what ilovetv noted, we have a remote arm/disarm function (via keychain fobs/remotes) for our security system in OH. It allows you to control the arming and disarming of the system, as well as a couple of other functions, from outside the house by using buttons on the remotes. The reason we had this functionality included in the system was so we could have magnetic switches installed on the garage doors - most people opt to not arm their garage doors unless they program in a lengthy delay to allow themselves time to rush into the house upon arrival to disarm the system via a wall-mounted keypad. This way we're able to also protect the contents of the garage without running the risk of tripping the alarm if we didn't make it to the keypad in time (or exiting and not getting the door down quickly enough).

Additionally, we also had water sensors installed in several locations in the house - by the washing machine, the hot water heater, floor drains and sump pit in the basement (in OH!). If any of them detect the presence of water, it'll trip the alarm and call the monitoring center. The system's also programmable for use with X-10 lighting modules - allows you to selectively control interior and/or exterior lighting at your home. (See www.x10.com) You can also get temperature sensors to monitor inside air temp as well as refrigerator/freezer temps.

The point of all this blathering is to note that, to us, a security/alarm system can be something more than just means to set off an alarm if there's a break in. There is a lot more that can be piggybacked onto a system to expand its functionality.........if that's what floats your boat. We like those features as much as the basic alarm capabilities.

JMHO - - - - :)

Bill

Could you imagine what it would be like around here if everyone had an alarm? How many homes are unoccupied for half the year? Many things can set off an alarm, even a big storm. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have one but there is one thing everyone should do. Fortify your bedroom door. You are most vulnerable while you're sleeping. I don't care about our "things" only our safety. A .357 wouldn't hurt either.

I think Talk Host was referring to my previous post. From the responses to that post I was beginning to think most people do not an have alarm system - and I was impressed by the feeling of security that was evident. For those of you who do have alarm systems I'd appreciate some advice on who provides this service in TV. As I posted, I've been contacted by ADP, but they were very expensive if you required more than their basic system and they kept changing their price to try and get me a 'better deal'. If you'd prefer, you can PM me with the information.

My thoughts exactly.. Have house alarm alarm with eleven stations (each with two levels of protection)..the darn thing even talks....("garage pass-door opened").. My lovely pooch took 2 weeks to realize no need to bark at the alarm voices--Heck, when I enter my open garage door from driveway (with perimeter alarm on and motion sensors disabled) it has the sound of a "BOOM-stick" being racked. (That'll make ya want to stop and shake out your shorts). If ye get past the alarm and the pooch there is a special hand held "noisemaker" in the house. Asked ten peeps (male) and seven of them keep a "noisemaker" at the ready--inside the house.

We feel safe in the villages. So do our neighbors. We all keep an eye out on each other. You bring with you the feelings about safety or unsafety you have had previously. The Villages feel like our home in West Chester, only safer because most people are not working.

The statistics prove that the crime rates in TV are some of the lowest in the country.

Each should live in a manner that they feel most comfortable.

On a similar thread, someone said that they keep the doors locked and the windows down on a lovely 70's day while they are in their home in TV. There are three of us and our Camellia is only 1930 square feet. We let the air in on a pretty day and feel like there isn't any danger in doing so. You can practically see the perimeters of a house that size from the great room.

You can't change peoples mind about FEELING or not feeling safe, nor should you try.

Just my very personal and very humble opinion.

It's our retirement and our life so what makes us happy and comfortable is what we should have, get or buy. A home alarm system is a personal choice that falls in that category. It is not for everyone for various reasons. More power to them. Some can't live without one. More power to them also. For those that make the decision to get a home alarm system, the wise thing to do is exactly what I saw going on here - research so you get the best deal for your money - the most bang for your buck - the features you want.

I am a retired LEO (still new to TV having moved here a month ago from Tampa) and wish to share my opinion on why it is a bad idea to not secure your home. We at TV are blessed with a wonderful community with good people, which makes it easy to assume there is no need for home security. However, that would be a mistake.

There are hundreds of service people coming and going every day in TV. There will always be a few willing and capable of breaking into a home or car that is unattended or not secured if the opportunity exists.

A dog is a good alarm system when you are home. But the dog cannot be left inside a home when you are away for an extended period of time. Having good deadbolt locks on exterior doors and windows will discourage would be intruders when you are away or at night when you are asleep. Most burglars operate on opportunity.

Have a procedure at night where you physically check each door to ensure they are locked and the garage door is down. Leave a light on at night so there is some light inside the home.

TV provides a home check service during times when you are gone for an extended period. A good neighbor policy is helpful with everyone keeping an eye out for anything unusual or suspicious. Let your neighbors know when you be away and don’t be shy about calling Community Watch and report suspicious activity in your neighborhood.

Cancel newspaper subscriptions when away for a weekend or longer. Piled up newspapers in the driveway alerts strangers to the fact you are not home. If you see your neighbor’s papers piling up in the driveway, please have it checked it could be a sign there is a problem.

Alarm systems can help in securing your home. Just remember you have to stay on top of maintenance issues with alarms. Nuisance alarms can be costly with alarm fines, if TV has a nuisance alarm policy, most Sheriffs Offices do have false alarm policies.

ive got a little white 10 lb yorkie-poo alarm. if that doesnt scare an intruder away then my .357 stainless steel will! ive had an alarm system for many years but here in the villages i dont feel the need for one. there is nothing more frightening than an alarm system going off in the middle of the night because of a malfunction. and they all do at one time or another. no thanks.....the lack of crime is one of the many reasons we live here.:D

It's probably just me, but I would think that an intruder standing in my bedroom in the middle of the night would be more frightening than the alarm going off.

In addition to the tangle of complications associated with protecting ones self with a 357, which I assume is constantly at your finger tips, have you though about what it will do to the ears of you and your wife if discharged inside a room.

JLK