How Does an Anti-theft Device Work?

In retail stores, an anti-theft device is a small piece of plastic with a mechanism in it that can be turned on and off. The mechanism is constantly emitting a signal, the frequency of which will be picked up by any kind of security system a customer attempts to walk through upon exiting the store. These are usually placed inside the cases of CDs, DVDs and video games while at manufacturing facilities. When activated, these anti-theft devices will cause alarms to go off if a person tries to walk through the door without paying for them. If an item is purchased, the devices get deactivated at the cash registers.

An anti-theft device in a car works in a completely different way. A kill switch can be installed, which will turn the car off if anybody but the operator tries to start it. Hood locks can be installed if your hood has an external release on it. This will prevent people from attempting to tamper with things like your battery or your engine. Car alarms can also come with fuel-ignition kill switches. When the car alarm goes off, it prevents the engine from being started until the alarm is completely deactivated, which in theory only the vehicle's owner can do.