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I have just recently joined this forum and going through the various post I noticed this post and also did not notice any replies. MY background is in law enforcement and my opinion is largely based on that fact. Most people that commit crimes of opportunity, theft, etc. want to get in, get what they can get quickly and convert it to money to supply their need(s). These people do not want to be apprehended so they will generally pick locations that there is a small chance they will be caught. For these people, which are the vast majority of the crooks, an audible alarm with or without a silent alarm is in my opinion the way to go. Because they want to steal, and not stay until the cops are pulling up, the audible alarm will most often cause them to flee upon it's activation. Also the audible alarm will alert others in the area that help is needed. There are times when audible alarms do not cause them to flee, but playing the odds is something that we often have to do!