Burglar alarm systems have become so common that their use is now part of a business's daily routine. A major reason is the growing fear of crime, which is exploited by the alarm industry's marketing strategy. The most commonly used sensing devices include magnetic contacts, metallic tape, photoelectric beams, ultrasonic motion detectors, passive infrared detectors, and pressure mats. Police concede that properly working security systems deter crime and attribute most false alarms to employee error -- indifference, carelessness, or poor training. Although alarm equipment has become more sophisticated, it is still difficult to engineer against such uncontrollable things as weather and animals. Moreover, many alarms are activated by power losses or telephone company repair work. The New York City Police Department monitors all false alarms and threatens to stop responding to alarms that are continually false. The Miami Police Department has an effective and complex system which involves an elaborate fine schedule, a licensing program for security systems, and strict repair and inspection requirements. The program is unpopular with merchants who have run afoul of the ordinance and complain that police are paid to respond to all calls. Many alarm companies would welcome stricter regulation of their industry which is vulnerable to transient businesses and con artists. Government regulation may be necessary to reduce substantially the high rate of false alarms.