Power Tools and Fast Thefts: Why Traditional Alarms Keep Failing
A jewelry store burglary completed in under two minutes highlights how traditional alarms and cameras fail to prevent modern theft. Here's why recording crime isn’t protection and how verified security, like Sonitrol’s active audio detection, stops break-ins earlier, deters criminals, and delivers faster police response, before losses occur.
The Incident
A jewelry store in Old Sacramento was burglarized in a matter of minutes when a thief used a power saw to cut through the building’s wall. The entire crime took less than two minutes.
Approximately 10,000 pieces of jewelry, valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, were stolen. Surveillance cameras captured the event. Police are investigating. The owner has since added metal bars to the structure.
Unfortunately, all of this happened after the loss.
Why Traditional Alarms Keep Failing
Most retail businesses rely on conventional alarm systems built around a simple model:
- Entry occurs
- A sensor triggers
- An alarm sounds
- Police may or may not respond
This model is outdated. Modern criminals plan around it. They know how long they have. They know police response is often delayed or deprioritized due to false alarms. Cameras record everything, but they don’t stop anything.
That’s why smash-and-grabs have evolved into precision cut-ins using power tools.
Recording is Not Prevention
After every incident, business owners are left asking the same question, “Does anyone recognize this person?”
By then:
- The inventory is gone
- Insurance premiums increase or coverage is denied
- Repairs and downtime follow
Recorded video becomes evidence, not protection.
What Verified Security Does Differently
Verified security systems change the timeline.
Sonitrol’s Active Audio technology:
- Detects attempted entry before access is gained
- Confirms a real crime in progress
- Delivers Police Priority ONE response
- Protects 100% of the facility, not just doors and windows
Most importantly, criminals know which buildings are protected. With over 188,000 verified police apprehensions, Sonitrol sites are widely avoided. Deterrence is the real win.
The Takeaway for High-Value Retailers
If your business stores high-value inventory, conventional alarms are no longer enough.
Security must:
- Deter criminals
- Detect early
- Verify in real time
- Get police there fast
Anything else is just hoping you’re not next.
If you’ve already had one break-in, or worse, more than one, it’s time to reassess. Not after the loss. Before it happens again. Your business deserves more than a recording of the crime. Curious about your security system? Click here for a free audit.