How Have Intruder Alarms Changed Over Time?

In this post, we’ll explore the history of intruder alarms and how they have changed over time…

The earliest example of an intruder alarm dates back to the early 1700s, when an English inventor created a system that alerted people of attempted entry using a skeleton key. While forced entry by breaking a window or door might have been noticeable, a skeleton key or similar device could potentially allow a quiet burglary to take place.

To stop this, Mr Tildesley attached a set of chimes to the lock and handle on his door. When the handle was used, it would alert him with a (relatively pleasant) noise, allowing him to spring into action.

It was some time before the next recorded development in intruder alarms, but given the advent of electricity, it was well worth the wait. American inventor Augustus Pope created an electrical circuit using magnets to incorporate doors and windows.

Attached to a bell, the system would sound whenever the circuit was broken via the opening of those doors and windows. Most importantly, that bell would continue to ring regardless of whether the windows and doors were closed afterwards.

After Pope patented his device in 1853, it was bought by Edwin Holmes in 1857, who commercialised the burglar alarm and manufactured it at scale. Like many new innovations, it was only available to the more affluent homes due to its expensive price tag.

Holmes’ business was then bought by AT&T, who linked the alarms to emergency call systems for local authorities, like the police.

An electrified alarm system linked to the police was as good as it got for the majority of the 20^th century. However, in the 1970s, things started to become more advanced with the arrival of motion sensors.

By emitting ultrasonic waves which are reflected back to the sensor, alarms could detect any change in frequency caused by motion within a space. This was used to trigger the alarm if anyone entered the property while it was set.

This was further developed in the 1980s, when infrared technology was introduced. Unlike ultrasound technology, which relies on sound waves and is more susceptible to false alarms, infrared uses light to determine whether or not motion is present.

At Selectron, we stay at the forefront of intruder alarm developments to offer customers across Bermuda a selection of industry-leading intruder alarms. Wired or wireless, smart or basic, we’ll find a product that suits your requirements and your budget, with professional installation and a personal service to boot.