By Cicero Estrella

Small-time, petty burglars are growing fewer and fewer in numbers, which is not a positive development. These days, breakers-and-enterers have graduated into more sophisticated territory and are employing well-choreographed methods to avoid detection and to get in and out of homes in a snap.

Thieves tend to be bolder, work in teams and stay up-to-date on the latest technology. Not only have they become adept at circumventing alarm systems,they also use such technological advances as cell phones to their advantage.

"They're always learning; that's their job," says Ricky Kurihara, owner of Elite Security Systems. "Each time there's a new method, they learn it."

The best way to stop them, says Kurihara and other security experts, is to use technology to thwart the advantages that burglars have gained through their own use of technology. In other words, fight fire with fire.

Intrusion detection systems utilizing wire window mesh, motion detectors and digital cameras thwart thieves. Courtesy of Elite Security Systems

"The latest trend is integration," says Don Smith, vice president of sales and operations for Alert Alarm of Hawaii. "For many years it was just the burglar alarm and the fire alarm, but now there are integrated homeautomation systems. Everything can be controlled from a touch screen. You can monitor with close-circuit TV, and the Internet lets you check on what's going on in your house from your office or anywhere else in the world."

Homeowners can now access security alarm systems remotely through the Internet, Smith says. "They can change codes, add or delete a user, and arm or disarm a system."

"If you have a problem with a property manager, for example, you can delete his code and he won't have access to the property," he says.

Digital cameras, which have become more affordable in recent years, allows for the transmission of images through the Internet. Homeowners are able to keep track of the activity through laptops, PDAs and cell phones.

Digital recordings flag any activity and allow those viewing it to go straight to the specific time and date when that activity occurred, according to Smith.

"Not only can you watch live via the Internet, but if you suspect a problem you can view a recording and see what happened," he says. "Searching a digital recording is really simple, compared to the fast-forwarding and rewinding of tape."

Digital cameras serve another purpose.

"They're a visual deterrent, which is key because they might create a mental barrier (with the burglars) to go in or not," Kurihara says.

But Kurihara adds that not every home needs cameras. He suggests homeowners start with an intrusion detection system, and then add more protection as necessary.

His company's intrusion detection system employs wired window mesh that sets off an alarm when cut or removed from the window. The special mesh replaces regular wire mesh that keeps mosquitoes and other little intruders out of the home, and can be fitted to any window frame.

"Most people in Hawaii leave their windows open," Kurihara says. "They don't have to worry about people breaking in. It's nuts-and-bolts, very easy to use, but very effective."

The system also employs motion detectors in strategic areas around the house. If the home is breached, an alarm alerts the central monitoring center, which in turn contacts the homeowners to verify it is not a false alarm, and the police as necessary.

Kurihara and his staff assess each home's security needs individually.

Should a residence need more than an intrusion detection system, they might recommend fortifying its perimeter with gates or natural barriers such as a landscaped hedge. Cameras would then be the next step.

If a security system is breached, an alarm alerts a central monitoring center which contacts the homeowner, and the police, if necessary. Courtesy of Alert Alarm of Hawaii

Kurihara founded his company in 1990, and much has changed since then.

"There's a greater amount of crime, and the method of crime — with the use of cell phones and radios — has also changed," he says. "Technology has led to an increase in crime."

The cell phone may not be the latest in technology, but they were not an everyday necessity 17 years ago as they are now.

"Everybody's got them — they're affordable and they're a crime tool," says Kurihara.

He says thieves rarely work solo anymore. They work in groups, with designated members serving as lookouts who warn those breaking into the homes of approaching police or homeowners.

With cell phones making it easier to pull off crimes, thieves have become fearless.

"When people are successful at something, they're going to continue doing it," Kurihara says. "They've become more brazen. They take risks that they never would have taken before. These guys are not afraid to climb through second-story windows."

Burglars were also getting around security systems by cutting phone lines of a home, and sometimes an entire neighborhood, so that central monitoring centers are not notified to the break-in.

"They understood how the system worked," Kurihara says. "Without phone service, the alarm is nothing more than a noisemaker."

But again technology, in the way of wireless backups, is allowing the security experts to stay one step ahead.

"You don't need a phone line anymore," Kurihara says. "In the event a line is cut, the alert is sent out through a cellular backup module. We get the signal and call the police."

The best line of defense outside of technology, according to Smith, is one of the oldest.

"Get to know your neighbors," he says.

"I lived in Volcano Village in the Big Island for 16 years. That's a forest area, and if my neighbors heard a noise in my house while I was traveling, they'd come over and check it out. I would do the same for them. That's the best security you can have." HS