Virtually all - 97% - of home security system owners believe that their systems are effective at guarding against a home break-in, according to a 1998 study of 40,000 U.S. households.

Homes without a security system are nearly three times more likely to be burglarized as electronically secured homes, according to a 1991 study.
 

 
Most home burglaries are carried out during the day.
 
 
A burglarized home can mean both an emotional upheaval and a monetary loss. A 1991 study shows that a home with an alarm system, if burglarized, experiences a loss that is considerably less that the average $1,350 average loss.

If burglaries occurred at fixed time intervals rather than randomly, one burglary would occur every 13 seconds in the United States. This figure is based on 1996 crime statistics as reported by the police to the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

Two-thirds of burglaries are carried out by forcible entry, making the detection capabilities of an alarm system a crucial function.