Alarms necessary to prevent crime

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.