Honestly I’ve found cameras to be a better initial investment than security alarms. A visible camera deters a lot of thieves, and generates the evidence you need to file an actionable police report or insurance claim too. Plus, even absent of crime, a camera will give you an idea of the baseline level of activity around your premises. For example, at my vacation home in a rural area, my camera in the past 7 days has seen only 5 cars driving by, all of which are the neighbors’. Meanwhile, at my primary residence in a dense urban environment, literally 5 minutes after Amazon delivers a package, I’ve seen people come up to the doorway and shake the box to see what’s inside. (I’ve attempted to report that but the police department says no laws are broken unless they steal the package lol)
This is the kind of info you wouldn’t have from just simple motion sensors and stuff like that. For me, the main purpose of an alarm system is if someone breaks into the house while I’m sleeping, I’d like to be woken up.