News

16 October 2005 , by Karin Björkin
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Media reports about burglars cutting telephone connection lines to get past alarm systems are becoming more and more common. It seems that burglars are, as ever, finding effective ways to get around companies’ security measures. As more and more premises are being equipped with alarms, burglars are now looking at the security level of the alarm system when deciding which premises to break into.

“The crime statistics show that alarms do act as deterrents and reduce the risk for burglary,” explains Ulf Rönndahl, Group Risk Manager and Security Manager at insurance company If. “However, as the number of premises without alarms decreases, so decreases burglars’ room for manoeuvre.  We will begin to see a new situation in which burglars will attack the alarms that are easiest to disable.”

And for companies that have already been the victims of a break-in, there is a greater risk that the burglars will return.
“This is not a myth,” says Rönndahl. “Companies that, for example, have had their computers stolen and have replaced them with new machines are often visited by the same burglars who then steal the new computers. We therefore recommend that all our clients who have been burgled strengthen their security straight away.”

Cutting connection lines

The fact that burglars are becoming more cunning can be seen in newspaper reports which more and more frequently tell the story of alarms sabotaged by burglars. Many alarm suppliers have also noticed an increased interest from customers for monitored alarm services. Most commonly, burglars sabotage an alarm by cutting the telephone connection lines with a simple set of pliers so that the alarm cannot reach the Alarm Centre. To protect against this, the alarm service needs to be monitored.

”With a monitored alarm service, the connection is constantly checked, which makes it impossible for burglars to escape detection,” explains Torbjörn Ferndahl, Alarm Product Manager at Multicom Security. “One problem is that many believe that their alarm connection lines are protected because they are linked to an Alarm Centre. However, a special subscription is necessary so that the system is monitored.”

(Article taken from Multicom Magazine nr. 3/2005)