Alarms necessary to prevent crime<\/p>\n
By T. Sima Gunawan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Another Idul Fitri is coming. The city will
\nagain be a little more quiet for some time, as about a third of
\nits 10 million residents are expected leave for their hometowns.
\nAnd once again, the police are warning the public to be cautious
\nabout a possible increase in the crime rate.<\/p>\n
South Jakarta Police Chief, Lt. Col. Sisno Adiwinoto observes
\nthat the number of crimes tend to increase a few days before and
\nafter Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
He gave two reasons. First, many houses are empty because
\ntheir owners travel to their hometowns. Secondly, there are some
\npeople who will do anything, including committing crimes, to get
\nenough money to go shopping, because for them, Idul Fitri means
\ngood food, new clothes and having fun instead of a spiritual
\nexperience.<\/p>\n
\"We will do our best to maintain security, but the people are
\nalso expected to take an active part,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In some places in the city, there is the so-called siskamling.
\nIt is a system requiring people in the neighborhood to take turns
\non the local patrol, going around the area at night.<\/p>\n
In villages, those on patrol are equipped with kentongan, a
\nbamboo tube that functions as an alarm. When something happens,
\nthey hit the kentongan to awake the people.<\/p>\n
Some Jakartans hang a kind of kentongan at the porch of the
\nhouse, not as an alarm, but as a decoration. They have modern
\nalarms which are operated by a battery or electricity.<\/p>\n
One of these house alarms is called the Watch Dog. It can bark
\nlike a German shepherd -- loudly enough to scare anyone who tries
\nto break into the house. The Watch Dog alarm complements the
\nautomatic lamp equipped with infrared motion detector and light
\nsensor. The light will automatically illuminate when someone
\npasses the covered area and the \"watch dog\" will bark.<\/p>\n
PT Nucleus Nusacitra Utama, a supplier of wireless home
\nsecurity systems, enjoys a robust business. Its manager,
\nRustandi, said sales of the Watch Dog alarm and automatic lamps
\nare constantly increasing.<\/p>\n
\"There is a rising demand for the alarm, not only from
\nJakarta, but also from other places like Ujungpandang, Pontianak
\nand even Lombok,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He even expects that sales this month will double those of the
\nprevious month. He expects that people planning to travel to
\ntheir hometowns will install the house alarm as a means to
\nprotect their property.<\/p>\n
The automatic lamp is available for less than Rp 100,000,
\nwhile the Watch Dog costs Rp 112,000, said Rustandi, who has run
\nthe business for about a year.<\/p>\n
The light will come on when a person passes the area, at a
\ndistance of up to 12 meters.<\/p>\n
If a cat passes, will the light come on?<\/p>\n
\"Yes, if the cat is as big as a tiger,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the sensitivity of the light has been adjusted in such
\na way so that it will only detect the movement of a big object.<\/p>\n
\"If the burglar walks very, very slowly, the light might not
\ncome on. But how slowly can he move?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rustandi admitted that there are always sophisticated ways to
\ncircumvent the system. Those who want to feel more secure are
\nsuggested to install a tight home security system. He said
\nwireless security systems are available for prices starting from
\nless than Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
Another security system specialist, Central Information Alarm
\n(CIA), offers two packages for Rp 1.2 million and Rp 2.15 million
\nrespectively. Both packages include three units of wireless
\nmagnetic transmitters that can be installed on the doors. Those
\nwho take the more expensive package will get a passive infrared
\nmotion detector, a smoke detector and a wireless key pad. Glass
\nbreaking detectors can be installed for an additional Rp 285,000
\neach.<\/p>\n
CIA owner Rudy Gunawan opened his first shop in Kelapa Gading,
\nNorth Jakarta seven years ago. In 1994, he opened a second store
\nin Cikini, Central Jakarta and three months ago, a third store
\nopened on Jl. Arteri Pondok Indah in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The business is not bad,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His customers include top government officials and affluent
\npeople who would not mind spending millions of rupiah to protect
\ntheir property.<\/p>\n
However, he said 90 percent of them installed the security
\nsystem only after their homes were broken into.<\/p>\n
There is no guarantee that burglars will not break into a
\nhouse which is equipped with an alarm and that a security system
\nis unbreachable. But at least it will reduce the risk.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that house alarms are useful. It will be good if
\nmore people install them,\" Lt. Col. Adiwinoto said.<\/p>\n
He even suggested that those who can afford closed-circuit
\ntelevision install it in the house. If things happen, he said,
\nthe pictures recorded by the device would certainly help the
\npolice investigate the case -- unless the burglar breaks it.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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