Alarms necessary to prevent crime

By T. Sima Gunawan

JAKARTA (JP): Another Idul Fitri is coming. The city will again be a little more quiet for some time, as about a third of its 10 million residents are expected leave for their hometowns. And once again, the police are warning the public to be cautious about a possible increase in the crime rate.

South Jakarta Police Chief, Lt. Col. Sisno Adiwinoto observes that the number of crimes tend to increase a few days before and after Idul Fitri.

He gave two reasons. First, many houses are empty because their owners travel to their hometowns. Secondly, there are some people who will do anything, including committing crimes, to get enough money to go shopping, because for them, Idul Fitri means good food, new clothes and having fun instead of a spiritual experience.

"We will do our best to maintain security, but the people are also expected to take an active part," he said.

In some places in the city, there is the so-called siskamling. It is a system requiring people in the neighborhood to take turns on the local patrol, going around the area at night.

In villages, those on patrol are equipped with kentongan, a bamboo tube that functions as an alarm. When something happens, they hit the kentongan to awake the people.

Some Jakartans hang a kind of kentongan at the porch of the house, not as an alarm, but as a decoration. They have modern alarms which are operated by a battery or electricity.

One of these house alarms is called the Watch Dog. It can bark like a German shepherd -- loudly enough to scare anyone who tries to break into the house. The Watch Dog alarm complements the automatic lamp equipped with infrared motion detector and light sensor. The light will automatically illuminate when someone passes the covered area and the "watch dog" will bark.

PT Nucleus Nusacitra Utama, a supplier of wireless home security systems, enjoys a robust business. Its manager, Rustandi, said sales of the Watch Dog alarm and automatic lamps are constantly increasing.

"There is a rising demand for the alarm, not only from Jakarta, but also from other places like Ujungpandang, Pontianak and even Lombok," he said.

He even expects that sales this month will double those of the previous month. He expects that people planning to travel to their hometowns will install the house alarm as a means to protect their property.

The automatic lamp is available for less than Rp 100,000, while the Watch Dog costs Rp 112,000, said Rustandi, who has run the business for about a year.

The light will come on when a person passes the area, at a distance of up to 12 meters.

If a cat passes, will the light come on?

"Yes, if the cat is as big as a tiger," he said.

He said the sensitivity of the light has been adjusted in such a way so that it will only detect the movement of a big object.

"If the burglar walks very, very slowly, the light might not come on. But how slowly can he move?" he said.

Rustandi admitted that there are always sophisticated ways to circumvent the system. Those who want to feel more secure are suggested to install a tight home security system. He said wireless security systems are available for prices starting from less than Rp 1 million.

Another security system specialist, Central Information Alarm (CIA), offers two packages for Rp 1.2 million and Rp 2.15 million respectively. Both packages include three units of wireless magnetic transmitters that can be installed on the doors. Those who take the more expensive package will get a passive infrared motion detector, a smoke detector and a wireless key pad. Glass breaking detectors can be installed for an additional Rp 285,000 each.

CIA owner Rudy Gunawan opened his first shop in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta seven years ago. In 1994, he opened a second store in Cikini, Central Jakarta and three months ago, a third store opened on Jl. Arteri Pondok Indah in South Jakarta.

"The business is not bad," he said.

His customers include top government officials and affluent people who would not mind spending millions of rupiah to protect their property.

However, he said 90 percent of them installed the security system only after their homes were broken into.

There is no guarantee that burglars will not break into a house which is equipped with an alarm and that a security system is unbreachable. But at least it will reduce the risk.

"I believe that house alarms are useful. It will be good if more people install them," Lt. Col. Adiwinoto said.

He even suggested that those who can afford closed-circuit television install it in the house. If things happen, he said, the pictures recorded by the device would certainly help the police investigate the case -- unless the burglar breaks it.