4 ms·

Yelling at robbers is a terrible idea, silent alarms are silent for a reason.

• willcipriano 5y ago
  Regular alarms are loud for a reason.
  • filesystem 5y ago
    Regular alarms are typically triggered at the point of entry / forced entry, to discourage the intruders from entering the building. Silent alarms are triggered during a hostage situation. e.g. when a cashier / bank teller / etc. is in danger because they are being threatened with a weapon. At this stage, it is not advisable to startle the robber because it may cause them to harm the hostage.
• pavel_lishin 5y ago
  It depends on what your goal is. Do you want the robbers to flee, taking nothing with them and causing minimum damage? Or do you want the police to show up and incarcerate, possibly injure or kill them, and cause more property damage and possibly loss if the robbers get away before (if) the police arrive?
  • falcolas 5y ago
    Or, the armed robbers panic, start shooting up the cameras and speakers, and maybe the cashier too, if they're particularly angry. Assuming an armed individual will act predictably or rationally in response to being yelled at seems specious.
• toss1 5y ago
  Yes, there is always a tension between the home/store owners and the police. The home/store owners typically want a loud alarm to warn the intruder, deter them from further action, and convince them to flee. The police want a silent alarm to give them time to get on the scene and apprehend the intruders and thieves so they can get an arrest and conviction. It is a bit of a Commons Problem that benefits the criminals, where it is in the individual's interest to use a loud alarm that will warn them in time to flee, but it is in the common interest to use a silent alarm to allow police to catch the criminals sooner. Clearly, these store owners are on the individual side of the fence.