Car Alarm Options

[JanetJackson]

Hi there!
I am seeking ideas/advice about a car alarm.
Long story short, in the parking lot to my apartment and the adjacent lot (which is for a senior citizens apartment complex) there have been about a dozen car break-ins (via smashed or pulled out windows) in the last six weeks or so.
We also found a bullet lodged in my roomates sunroof (from people shooting in the air... ugh) as well as a few other incidents.
However, the car break ins are escalating.  My neighbor was bringing her groceries inside the other day... maybe 15 steps away from her car and someone jumped off of a bike, jumped in her car and grabbed some food and grocery bags as she was chasing them... and rode off.  I've been looking for another place to live, but the price is unmatched anywhere drivable from my work... so I'm here for now.

Currently I am driving a work loaner vehicle.  My roomates truck has been broken into twice, via the same smashed window... but I've avoided it so far with my company car.  I'm about to purchase a car of my own (a used prius) and with this person smashing car windows for trash bags and toll change, I'd like to protect it in some way.
I've looked on amazing, but I honestly don't have ANY idea about car alarms, cheap alternatives, or something I could transfer from car-to-car.  Last night I just set an alarm for every 60 minutes and hit the 'lock' button on my work car key fob to make it beep, hoping that would deter them.... but I can't keep that up long term.
Ideas?  Suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time!

[ketchup]

Jeez, that sounds awful.  I do hope moving is in your future.

I'd probably just keep the car unlocked but visibly 100% empty at all times.  And I suppose bring the groceries in with only one trip.

Car alarms are a pain in the ass.  I recently discovered that my car has one and it scared the shit out of me.

[lthenderson]

No one pays attention to car alarms these days. By the time you woke up, looked out the window, saw it was your car alarm going off and a thief was ransacking your car, any thief would be long gone. If I were in your situation, I would drive junkers and leave them unlocked.

[Sibley]

Buy a junker. Keep it completely empty. And move ASAP.

[BudgetSlasher]

A used prius might already have a factory alarm (there appear to be videos out there of how to enable in on base model).

That being said, an alarm probably won't do you any good. Many alarms are easily defeated by a moderately skill criminal. And if busted windows are the MO the alarm won't go off until half of the smash and dash is completed.

[JanetJackson]

Thanks y'all.  I'll keep looking into moving.  I drive (I know, not mustachian) about 350-500 miles each week, so I can't have took junk a junker, plus they're just smashing into whatever- it doesn't seem to matter to them.
I'm looking into some places outside of the city that are drive-able, and offset some of that drive with a hybrid, I hope.

[trammatic]

Perhaps a discrete camera or two would help?  It isn't necessarily a deterrent, but might help catch the perps.

[KarefulKactus15]

I doubt the camera will help.  It sounds like the prosecution rate is low in this area....

I agree with others, drive a beater and leave it unlocked.     Will save you lots of money in smashed windows.     The alarm won't even go off till the window is smashed.

[Uturn]

As someone who was a thieving punk in my teen years, I can say that a car alarm deterred me none at all.  It just made me grab the easy stuff and run.  My best advice is leave nothing in your car, leave it unlocked.  I don't know if expensive stereos still have street value, but I would either leave it stock or obviously cheap.  All locks and alarms do is keep honest people honest. 

[Syonyk]

Don't get tinted windows, and don't leave anything visible in the car.

And budget for a few windows.  Apparently even if you leave the car unlocked, some people just have a thing for breaking windows.

[paddedhat]

The other issue with car alarms and remote starters that are installed as aftermarket accessories is that many, of not most, installations are done really poorly. The sound system/tint/and ghetto wheel shop down the street gets $399 to have a $10 helper cut and splice a rat's nest of wires into your extremely complex electrical system, often resultign in years of electrical headaches.   I have a buddy who is a top notch independent mechanic. At least once a month he had a newer vehicle in his shop for all kinds of strange electrical issues. Step one is often dedicating an hour or two to carefully removing all the wiring, and repairing the damage, from the alarm or remote starter, some hood rat, or new car dealership, slammed in. We bought a used CRV last year, and it went right to his shop to carefully remove a remote start. Not worth the headaches.