Burglar alarms currently available are electronic and an simple scheme involves a detector linked to one or more control panels which looks for a route to communicate the alarm. Essentially, burglar alarms can either be hardwired or wireless and the wired systems are generally used with sensors, smoke sensing elements for example, which demand power for reliable operation.

The cost of systems has come down since the advent of radio controlled transmitters but these are not tamper proof unlike wired systems which are much more pricey to install. Radio controlled systems require continual supervision and upkeep to guarantee efficient operation so if for example, the sensing elements or batteries have not been checked regularly, the system may not perform at its peak.