Best Home Security Systems in Indianapolis, IN | Indianapolis Security (2023)

Top Three Home Security Systems in Indianapolis

Keeping your family and home safe from crime in Indianapolis is as simple as installing a home security system. Home security systems add an extra layer of protection to your home. They’re especially great if you’re away from home a lot, own a lot of expensive belongings, frequently get packages delivered, or are forgetful when it comes to locking up at night.

It’s important that you choose a system that suits your family’s lifestyle and budget. Out of all the security companies that we’ve reviewed, we’ve narrowed our top three picks for home security in Indianapolis down to ADT, Frontpoint, and Vivint. All three of these companies offer an excellent nationwide reputation and a wide range of intrusion detection, environmental protection, and smart home automation equipment.

1. Frontpoint

First up is Frontpoint. Frontpoint is still relatively new to the home security game. They first opened up shop in 2007 with the plans to disrupt the home security industry. They’ve done just that, which is why Frontpoint tops our lists for best overall value, best customer service, and best monitoring and response. Not to mention that they’re also our highest-rated security system. Frontpoint’s stellar customer service team and state-of-the-art security equipment with home automation compatibility can help you and your family deal with any security concerns that arise.

Starter packages include:

1 Frontpoint Hub + Frontpoint Keypad
2 Door/Window Sensors
1 Motion Sensor
1 Yard Sign
5 Window Decals
1 Door Sticker

For Frontpoint, monitoring plans start at $34.99 and go up to $49.99. Their upper tier plan gives you the most options in terms of available equipment and remote control. You get smart home automation and video surveillance for a much lower cost than ADT’s comparable plan. Their affordable equipment starts at around $100 and individual add-ons are affordable compared to other alternatives. A great perk with Frontpoint is their transparent pricing. You can view the cost of every package and individual piece of equipment right on their website.

Of our three top picks, Frontpoint is our recommended choice for the 34.56% of households that rent in Indianapolis. Frontpoint’s system is designed for self-installation and won’t damage your walls, which your landlord will appreciate. Each component has a wall-friendly adhesive backing, so you can have your entire system up in running in 30 minutes or less.

2. ADT

ADT Security brings more than 140 years of experience to the table. They serve more than 6 million customers in North America—more than any other home security company. Their recognizable blue and white logo alone adds another layer of protection to your home. Anyone passing by your house will immediately see that your home is protected and not worth breaking into to, which is great news given Indianapolis’ high burglary rates.

ADT also gives you more options. They sell wired landline-based systems that are great for rural areas as well as wireless cellular systems. Their prices offer the most versatility too. You can purchase a monitoring-only option for preowned equipment for just $20 per month. This gives you the reliability and security of ADT’s monitoring centers without having to pay for the equipment. Other plans range from $27.99 to $59 and include the cost of equipment. Their upper-tier plans offer smart home compatibility, video surveillance, and access to the ADT Pulse app, which gives you control over your system via any mobile device.

Basic ADT equipment includes:

3. Vivint

Vivint is a great pick for any Indianapolis home that wants a security system with home automation integration. Their innovative security equipment and smart home devices seamlessly integrate, giving you complete control over your home. They have a highly rated mobile app too, so it’s easy to do everything from adjusting the thermostat to arming your home right from your cell phone—even if you’re miles or oceans away on vacation. Vivint also works with Alexa so that you can control several devices with your voice. Vivint’ system is 100% wireless and uses cell radio technology. This is far more reliable than a landline-based or wired system.

Vivint’s starter kit includes one sleek touchscreen panel, two Google Home minis, and six smart sensors. You get to choose between the following sensors:

Door/Window
Motion Detectors
Glass Break Detectors
Flood/Freeze Detectors
Smoke Detectors
Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Vivint’s prices fall on the higher side, so this company probably isn’t right for you if you’re only seeking basic home security. Equipment costs start at $700 and go up $1800 depending on your choices. Have a high credit score? You may qualify for their financing plan, which spreads the equipment costs out over 5 years—the length of the typical contract. Like ADT, Vivint requires professional installation, but it’s free. You just have to pay an activation fee of $99 to $199. Monitoring costs range from $29.99 to $49.99. Tack on an extra $12 or so per month for equipment financing.

Local Home Security Companies in Indianapolis

National home security companies aren’t your only options. Indianapolis is home to a number of local home security options that offer a wide range of services. Just keep in mind that when you go local, your system can’t move with you—in most cases. Plus, local companies likely don’t offer redundant monitoring like national companies do. That means that if their single monitoring location loses power, your home isn’t being monitored. ADT and Frontpoint both offer redundant monitoring, so your home is monitored no matter what. ADT, the largest company on our list, impress with six redundant monitoring centers spread across the country.

Here are five highly rate local home security options in Indianapolis. See how they stack up against our top three picks. Compare services, equipment, cost, and other perks.

Crime in Indianapolis

Indianapolis is home to a surprisingly high amount of crime, so your interest in a home security system makes sense. AreaVibes reports that Indy’s crime rate is 109% higher than the national average. Breaking it into crime types, the violent crime rate is more than triple the national average while the property crime rate is nearly double than the national average. Overall, you have a 1 in 18 chance of being a victim of crime in Indy. This includes burglary, theft, vehicle theft, assault, robbery, rape, and murder.

Just looking at cities of a similar size like Jacksonville, Florida; Fort Worth, Texas; and Charlotte, NC, Indianapolis still has a lot of crime. Violent crime rates are especially high in Indy when you compare these four cities. Since 1 in 3 violent crimes take place in or near the victim’s home, it’s safe to say a home security system can help protect you from violent crime in this city.

Unless you have several homes across the city, looking only at Indy’s overall crime rates won’t do you too much good. Crime rates greatly vary between neighborhoods due to socioeconomic factors, landscape, and the heavier presence of gangs in certain areas. Using the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s CrimeViewer tool, you can see the types of crimes that take place right in your neighborhood. Search by zip code, address, or landmark to narrow down the geographical area. Then, you can filter out by crime type to see just what’s been going on over the past few days or few months.

Use what you learn from CrimeViewer to help you make decisions about what home security equipment to purchase. For example, if you live in or near Tuxedo Park neighborhood, you’re at a higher risk for home break-ins and auto theft. Consider going with Frontpoint. Their state-of-the-art outdoor security cameras are affordable, easy to install, and packed full of features. These features include infrared night vision, high-resolution video, and mobile app viewing. Putting these cameras on your property will scare off potential car thieves before they make their move.

Indianapolis Weather

Along with typical security equipment and intrusion detection sensors, Frontpoint, Vivint, and ADT all sell environmental protection equipment. These devices protect your home from security threats like cold weather, kitchen fires, and carbon monoxide leaks. Environmental protection equipment includes temperature sensors, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and water sensors.

In Indianapolis, winter brings along cold temperatures that can put your pipes at risk of freezing. The average temperature in January is 28.1 °F with roughly five nights per year dropping as low as 0 °F. Temperature sensors, flood/freeze sensors, and water sensors can keep an eye on your home’s coldest areas during Indy’s winter months. Frontpoint, ADT, and Vivint all sell similar devices in this category.

Vivint’s combination sensor includes a temperature gauge and water sensor. It helps prevent your pipes from freezing by sending out an alert as soon as the temperature drops below your preset range. These alerts get sent directly to your mobile device so that you can immediately take action no matter where you are. It gives you enough time to shut off your water or adjust your home’s temperature before any expensive damage occurs. Plus, it eliminates the need for frequent trips down to the basement to check the temperature.

Thunderstorms are another weather concern in in Indianapolis. They’re fairly common during the spring and summer months. The resulting flash flooding can cause devastating flood damage to your home. Frontpoint sells state-of-the-art flood sensors that offer a wider range than the competition. They resist corrosion and detect even the tiniest of leaks. These flood sensors cost just $44.99 each and work with any Frontpoint monitoring plan. This is great news if you need to outfit several areas in your home. The sensor will notify you if it detects any leaking, so you can quickly remedy the situation.

Owning a Home Security System in Indianapolis

If you live in Marion County, you’ll need to register your home security system with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Failing to do so could actually make your home less safe. Police in Indianapolis can choose not to respond to your alarm. Why would they do that? About 98% of burglary alarms initiated by home security systems are false.

Many communities hold home security system users accountable for false alarms by implementing false alarm fees. Depending on which township you live in, you may be charged a fee per false alarm within your permit year. False alarms occur when your home security system activates but there isn’t an emergency. Common causes include improper usage (this most commonly happens during the first few months that you own the system), pets (particularly larger dogs), and malfunctioning equipment.

Video verification, private guard alarm response, adjustable motion detector settings, and voice verification are all ways that alarm companies help reduce false alarm incidents. ADT’s Alarm Response Service is an add-on service that gives you access to Alarm Response Officers. These officers are dispatched to your home when the alarm activates to wait with you until police arrive or to determine whether police presence is necessary. Their alarm response helps reduce false alarms, which is good for your bank account and the police department. Other services include neighborhood patrol on foot and by car, mail relocation while you’re on vacation, and security escorts who ensure you arrive safely at your home.

Vivint, ADT, and Frontpoint all sell pet-friendly motion detectors that use infrared sensors and help reduce false alarm incidents. Vivint’s sensors won’t detect pets weighing up to 33 to 55 pounds. Frontpoint’s offer a little less flexibility and are only immune to pets weighing up to 40 pounds. ADT gives even more wiggle room as professional installers can customize the sensitivity based on your pet’s size.

Community Safety Resources and Initiatives in Indy

There’s a lot more to home security than just installing a home security system. There’s also the community of people who respond when you need help. In Indianapolis, you have the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Indianapolis Fire Department at the ready. The city at large also does a lot to help reduce crime, making Indianapolis a safer place to live.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

Police officers respond to the majority of your home security alarms. In Indy, there are roughly 1,700 officers serving the city’s 863,000-person population. That’s just 1.9 officers per 1,000 residents, leaving Indianapolis with a relatively low citizen to police officer ratio. While this may seem alarming, know that the department is going above and beyond to keep citizens, visitors, and workers safe through a number of different initiatives.

Vacation Watch

Going on a trip? You can actually request a greater police presence in your neighborhood while you’re away. Police officers will patrol your neighborhood more frequently, adding extra peace of mind while you’re on vacation. This program is available for unattended businesses too. Just go online to Ask for Extra Patrols. You can fill in details like a date range, the desired time range for your check, and information about any vehicles or people that have permission to be on your property.

CrimeWatch Block Club

CrimeWatch specialists who work for the IMPD empower citizens to take an active stance against crime in their neighborhood. Through Indy CrimeWatch, neighbors can come together and form an official block club for their area. Club members serve as extra sets of ears and eyes in the community, reporting crimes and helping neighbors in need.

Contact the specialist in your neighborhood to see if a CrimeWatch block club already exists for your neighborhood. If not, you can start your own. You’ll need to get at least half of your neighbors onboard and go through training with a CrimeWatch specialist. Training covers topics like home security, crime reporting, and crime prevention.

Safety Tips

In another effort to empower citizens, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department provides helpful crime prevention tips on its website. Pages include Holiday Home and Safety Tips, Tips to Prevent a Burglary, Gang-Related Crime, Tips to Prevent Car or Truck Theft, and Apartment Security.

You’ll find great tips that will actually improve the performance of your home security system. For example, the IMPD recommends trimming trees and shrubs since burglars can use these areas as hiding places. By doing this, you’re making your house less vulnerable and you’re giving your outdoor security cameras a clearer view.

Indianapolis Fire Department

Devastating and even deadly home fires happen every day across the United States. The Indianapolis Fire Department is dedicated to serving Indianapolis residents to help prevent and fight home fires. More than 1,241 sworn firefighters work out of 44 fire stations across the city’s 278 square mile area. Each year they respond to more than 167,217 calls for fire, Hazmat, EMS, and technical rescue situations.

The department’s frontline apparatus includes one fire engine per station along with the following equipment:

22 Ladder Trucks
5 Squads
12 Tactical Units
4 Tankers
7 Battalion Chief’s Vehicles
4 Air Supply Tactical Support Units
3 Safety Officer Vehicles
2 EMS Duty Office Vehicles
1 Shift Commander Vehicle
4 Rehab Support Units

The Indianapolis Fire Department doesn’t supply public data regarding response times, but a new dispatch system implies that response times should improve in the future. In 2018, the City of Indianapolis upgraded the dispatch system used by the police department and fire department. The new system determines which unit is closest to the incident and has the proper equipment to handle the specifics of the call. This will increase the accuracy and timeliness of a fire or EMS response.

Smoke Alarms in Indy

As a homeowner or renter, you should be concerned with fire safety. While arson is the cause of some home fire incidents in Indianapolis, things like cooking and smoking in the home are more commonly the culprit. Smoke alarms help save lives and reduce property damage. ADT, Frontpoint, and Vivint all sell integrated smoke alarms. If they activate, you’ll immediately receive a notification and your monitoring service can dispatch the fire department. This immediate awareness of smoke or flames in a home is priceless.

If your budget won’t allow for integrated smoke alarms from your home security system, the Indianapolis Fire Department has a program worth looking into. You can request a smoke alarm and installation for free. The online Smoke Alarm Request Form has you indicate how many floors your home has, so you may be eligible for more than one free smoke alarm.

#KeepItSafeIndy

Fire prevention not only saves lives and property, but it also frees up fire fighters’ time and resources, which can lead to improved response times. #KeepItSafeIndy is one way that the Indianapolis Fire Department shares fire safety information with the public. Visit the website to learn about candle safety, carbon monoxide safety, Christmas tree safety, clothes dryer safety, cooking safety, electrical safety, family escape planning, generator safety, and more.