Are dummy CCTV cameras worth buying?

I would not recommend them. Experienced burglars can often spot dummy cameras from the housing, LED pattern, and lack of proper wiring. They also give you a false sense of security and may lead you to skip more effective upgrades like better locks and proper lighting.

What is the best home alarm system for the money?

For most homes in Coventry, a self-monitored smart alarm system like Yale Sync or Ring Alarm offers the best balance of cost and effectiveness. They typically cost £200-£400 with no monthly fees, send alerts to your phone, and include a visible external siren box that acts as a deterrent.

Do I need CCTV if I already have good locks?

Good locks should always be the foundation. CCTV adds a deterrent layer and provides evidence if something does happen, but it does not physically prevent entry. If your budget is limited, always prioritise locks over cameras. A smart doorbell at the front door is a good compromise starting from around £80.

Will my insurance premium go down if I fit an alarm?

Some insurers offer small discounts (typically 5-15%) for homes with monitored alarm systems. However, the discount rarely covers the cost of professional monitoring fees. The real insurance benefit of good security is ensuring your claim is valid — some policies require minimum lock standards like BS3621, and failing to meet them can void your cover.

Do Burglar Alarms and CCTV Actually Deter Burglars? What the Evidence Says

Everyone says "get an alarm" or "fit CCTV" — but does the evidence actually support it? Here is what research and crime data tell us about what deters burglars.

"Get an alarm fitted." "Put up some cameras." It is the most common advice people give about home security. But does the evidence actually support it? Or are you better off spending that money on better locks?

As a locksmith working across Coventry and Warwickshire, I see homes with alarms, homes with CCTV, and homes with neither. I have also seen plenty of burglaries at homes that had all three. So here is my honest, evidence-based take on what works, what does not, and where your money is best spent.

What the Research Says About Burglar Alarms

Several UK studies have looked at the relationship between alarm systems and burglary rates:

The University of North Carolina surveyed convicted burglars and found that **60% said the presence of an alarm would cause them to choose a different target**

Home Office research suggests that homes with active alarm systems experience **between 20% and 50% fewer burglary attempts** than comparable homes without

A study by the Building Research Establishment found that burglar alarms were the second most effective deterrent after dogs

The evidence is clear: alarms do deter burglars. But there are important caveats.

What Works: Visible Alarm Boxes

The deterrent value of an alarm is almost entirely in its **visibility**. A bright, clearly branded alarm box on the front of your house tells a passing burglar that this home has a working system. Most opportunistic burglars — and remember, the majority are opportunistic — will simply move on.

The box does not even need to be the newest model. It needs to look maintained and active. A clean box with a steady indicator light signals a working system.

What Does Not Work: Neglected Systems

Here is the flip side. An alarm box with:

A faded, cracked casing

A flashing fault light

Cobwebs around the sensors

A reputation in the neighbourhood for going off at random

These actually **signal poor security** rather than good security. They tell a burglar that the homeowner has stopped maintaining their system and probably does not arm it regularly.

If you have an old alarm that you never use, either get it serviced and start using it, or remove the box entirely. A dead alarm box is arguably worse than no box at all.

Monitored vs Unmonitored Alarms

There are three broad categories:

Bells-only alarms — The siren goes off, and that is it. Relies on neighbours hearing it and calling police. These cost from £150-£400 installed. They work well as deterrents but response depends entirely on someone hearing and caring. In urban areas of Coventry, alarm fatigue is real — people hear alarms constantly and ignore them.

Self-monitored alarms — Smart alarm systems (like Yale Sync, Ring Alarm, SimpliSafe) that send alerts to your phone. You decide whether to call the police, check your cameras, or ignore it. These cost from £200-£500 for the system, with no monthly fees. The downside is that you need to be awake, have your phone, and have signal to respond.

Professionally monitored alarms — A monitoring centre receives the alert and contacts you and/or the police. These provide the highest level of protection but cost £20-£50 per month on top of the installation cost (typically £500-£1,500+). For most residential properties in Coventry, this is overkill, but it is worth considering if you have particularly high-value contents or are away frequently.

What About CCTV?

CCTV is slightly different from alarms because it serves two purposes: **deterrence** and **evidence**.

CCTV as a Deterrent

Visible cameras do deter burglars, but the effect is less pronounced than alarms according to most studies. The same University of North Carolina research found that CCTV cameras ranked lower than alarms, dogs, and occupancy as deterrents. Burglars know that:

Many home CCTV systems record poor-quality footage

They can cover their face with a hood or balaclava

Police often do not have the resources to investigate CCTV footage from residential burglaries

That said, a visible camera at your front door is still worth having. It changes the risk calculation for a burglar, even if only slightly.

CCTV as an Evidence Tool

Where CCTV truly earns its keep is in evidence gathering. If a burglary does occur, good-quality footage can help police identify the perpetrator and increases the chance of conviction and recovery of your property. It also helps with insurance claims.

The key word is "good-quality." Grainy, low-resolution footage of someone in a hoodie is close to useless. If you are fitting CCTV for evidence purposes, invest in:

At least 1080p resolution (2K or 4K is better)

Night vision with infrared

A wide enough angle to capture faces, not just the tops of heads

Cloud or local storage that overwrites on a sensible schedule (not after 24 hours)

Smart Doorbells

Smart video doorbells — Ring, Nest/Google, Eufy — have become enormously popular, and for good reason. They combine a visible camera, motion detection, two-way audio, and phone alerts in one device. Starting from around £80 for a basic Ring, they are the most cost-effective entry point into home CCTV.

For a front door, a smart doorbell is often more useful than a standalone CCTV camera because it captures everyone who approaches your door, not just intruders. Package theft, suspicious callers, and cold callers are all recorded.

I would recommend a smart doorbell as a solid addition to a home that already has good locks. But — and I say this consistently — **do not buy a smart doorbell instead of upgrading a vulnerable lock**. A camera records a crime happening. A good lock prevents it.

What About Dummy Cameras and Fake Alarm Boxes?

I understand the appeal — they cost a fraction of the real thing. But I would advise against them for two reasons:

**Experienced burglars can spot them.** Dummy cameras often have a single blinking LED, no wiring, plastic housings that look different from real units, and are positioned in places where a real camera would not be practical. Fake alarm boxes lack the wiring entry points, aerials, and branding of real systems.

**They give you a false sense of security.** If you think your dummy camera is protecting you, you might not bother with the upgrades that actually work — like better locks, proper lighting, and good habits.

If you cannot afford a real system right now, spend the money on a [lock upgrade](/services/lock-upgrade) instead. An anti-snap cylinder on your front door (from £90 fitted) does more for your security than a £15 dummy camera. Check our [prices page](/prices) for the full range of lock upgrades.

The Real Deterrent Stack: What I Recommend

Based on the evidence, my experience as a locksmith, and conversations with West Midlands Police officers, here is the order in which I would invest in home security:

Priority 1: Good Locks (from £90)

Anti-snap cylinders, [BS3621 deadlocks](/blog/bs3621-vs-anti-snap-vs-smart-lock), window locks. These physically prevent entry. Everything else just makes entry less likely — locks make it harder.

Priority 2: Lighting (from £15)

Motion-sensor lights at all approach points. Cheap, effective, zero maintenance if solar-powered.

Priority 3: Visible Alarm Box (from £150)

Even a basic bells-only system with a prominent external box deters the majority of opportunistic burglars.

Priority 4: Smart Doorbell (from £80)

Records everyone who approaches, deters casual intruders, helps with deliveries and unexpected callers.

Priority 5: CCTV System (from £200)

Additional cameras covering the back garden, side passage, and driveway. Useful for evidence if anything does happen.

Priority 6: Professional Monitoring (from £20/month)

Only really necessary for high-value properties, frequent travellers, or people who want the peace of mind of knowing someone is always watching.

The Bottom Line

Alarms and CCTV do reduce burglary risk, and the evidence supports that. But they are **supplements to good physical security, not replacements for it**.

If you have a standard euro cylinder on your front door and no window locks, fitting a Ring doorbell will not keep you safe. It will just give you a video of someone breaking in through your front door in 20 seconds.

Start with the locks. Then add the visible deterrents. That is the order that makes sense.

For honest advice on the right security setup for your Coventry home, call me on 07735 336175. I will tell you what you actually need — and what you can skip.