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Comment by paulddraper | Hacker News Reader

> There's no statistical link between cameras and crime prevention

Not saying you're wrong, but if you're right there are an awful lot of pointless security signs outside my neighbor's houses.

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Do a lot of them warn would-be robbers about cameras? Or about security systems that sound an alarm and automatically dial the police?

Automatically dial the police?

Here in Australia that isn't a thing, not for residential security systems anyway. The system contacts a security company who sends one of their patrol cars with a security guard.

The obvious reason for this is: the police have better things to do than respond to false alarms all day.

In the US they can tell if it’s a fire or a break in and the security company will call the proper authorities. Some even have panic buttons and yes the police will come. I’ve seen it happen my self.

Why would it be a false alarm?

My old workplace had an alarm we would set at closing time when we left. I was a contact on the list of people to be called when it went off. It went off maybe 10 times while I was there, every time was a false alarm. Sometimes kids bouncing a ball against the window, sometimes strong winds, sometimes a poster falling off the wall...

A workplace, sure... but if a kid was bouncing a ball against my home's windows when I wasn't there, I'd sure want someone to come by and tell them to stop.

Is the police the right service for this?

Depends on your local PD. In my town I'd say yes but I understand that in other areas that would be a bad idea.

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