Don't DIY Your Safety

Why Professional Security Monitoring Is the Investment Burglars Hope You Skip

When a burglar cases a neighborhood, they’re not looking for a challenge. They’re looking for the path of least resistance, and a blinking blue light from a DIY camera kit bought at a big-box store may be all the invitation they need. That’s the message Kevin Pentecost has been delivering to Tulsa homeowners and business owners for more than 25 years. As founder and owner of Metro Security USA, Pentecost has built one of eastern Oklahoma’s most trusted security companies from the ground up — and he’s seen firsthand what happens when people gamble on cut-rate protection.

“Our customers receive the fastest response times in the region,” Pentecost said. “Our monitoring is second to none.”

That’s not a marketing slogan. It’s a standard Pentecost enforces with a discipline rooted in his early career in law enforcement and decades of hands-on experience in the security industry.

The Real Cost of a Break-In

Before comparing a $200 DIY kit to professional installation, consider what’s actually at stake. According to the FBI’s 2024 burglary data, the average residential burglary results in losses exceeding $7,800 in stolen goods and that figure doesn’t include structural damage, replacement costs, or the emotional toll on a family. For context, the average loss in 2000 was just $1,382. Today’s break-ins are far more costly, and far more brazen.

Meanwhile, professional security monitoring, the kind Metro Security USA provides, runs a fraction of that risk. A well-equipped professional system with 24/7 monitoring can cost between $500 and $1,000 installed, with monthly monitoring fees ranging from $25 to $50. Against a potential $7,800-plus loss, the math is straightforward.

DIY Security: The Hidden Risks

The appeal of DIY systems is undeniable: lower upfront cost, no contracts, and the satisfaction of self-sufficiency. But security professionals point to a growing list of vulnerabilities that consumers rarely consider at checkout.

False sense of security.

A camera that records but doesn’t alert, or an alarm that notifies only a smartphone, places the entire burden of response on the homeowner. If you’re asleep, traveling, or simply miss the notification, the system has effectively failed.

Improper installation.

Sensors placed at the wrong height, cameras with blind spots, or control panels installed without regard to entry-point vulnerability can render a system nearly useless. Professional installation performed by licensed technicians accounts for the specific layout, risk profile, and structural nuances of each property.

No verified response.

DIY self-monitoring means law enforcement is called only if you call them. Professional monitoring centers, by contrast, dispatch authorities within seconds of a confirmed alarm often before a homeowner has even been reached.

Wi-Fi and power dependency.

Many consumer-grade systems rely entirely on home internet connections and household power. A burglar who cuts power or jams a Wi-Fi signal can neutralize a DIY system in seconds. Professional systems with cellular backup and battery redundancy are designed to function even when those conditions are compromised.

System failure goes undetected.

This is where the difference between DIY and professional monitoring becomes most stark and most dangerous.

The No-Test-Time Report: A Standard No DIY System Matches

Pentecost runs what he calls a “no-test-time report” which is a weekly protocol in where Metro Security’s monitoring platform receives a test signal from every single system under its umbrella. Pentecost emphasized, “We always want to be certain we receive this important test signal from your system each week.”

The causes of system failure, he notes, are often mundane but serious: a cable accidentally cut during home renovation, intermittent power outages, storm damage, or even a disrupted cellular connection. A DIY system owner may have no idea their protection has gone dark sometimes for weeks. Metro Security customers know quickly.

No consumer-grade DIY platform offers this level of proactive oversight. The homeowner who chooses DIY is not just buying a system they’re accepting the job of monitoring it.

Professional Equipment vs. Consumer-Grade Hardware

The gap between professionally installed equipment and what’s available at retail is significant. Metro Security USA is an authorized installer of industry-leading brands including Honeywell, Avigilon, Hochiki, Firelite, Paxton Access, Vanderbilt, and March Networks, These equipment brands are trusted by security professionals worldwide and generally unavailable through consumer retail channels.

Metro’s commercial fire alarm systems are built to NFPA 72 standards and code-approved. Their surveillance solutions feature HD cameras with night vision and intelligent motion detection. Access control systems integrate keycard, biometric, and PIN entry with full audit trails; systems a Ring doorbell cannot replicate.

The company’s monitoring center carries UL Listing which is considered the gold standard in the industry that meets the stringent standards of Underwriters Laboratories for central station alarm monitoring.

Local Matters More Than You Think

National DIY brands route monitoring through distant call centers that may have little familiarity with Tulsa’s geography, law enforcement dispatch protocols, or even local emergency response times. Metro Security USA is locally owned and operated, and its technicians are neighbors who are committed to protect.

Pentecost’s path to Metro Security is itself a testament to that community investment. After a brief career in law enforcement and years in retail sales (including operating one of Tulsa’s first Dish Network dealerships) he formally launched Metro Security in 1998 as a dedicated residential and commercial security firm. He holds a degree in criminal justice from Northeastern State University.

Over more than 25 years, Metro Security USA has grown to install more than 10,000 systems across Oklahoma, serving residential clients, commercial businesses, industrial properties, retail locations, and property managers. The company holds Oklahoma License AC671 and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

“A consummate industry professional, on top of market technology and trends,” reads one industry colleague’s assessment. “If you want to protect what you have worked for, let Kevin’s Metro Security work for you.”

The Bottom Line

A DIY system may cost less on the day of purchase. But it also transfers the risk of improper installation, undetected failure, slow response, and inadequate equipment entirely to the homeowner. When the average residential burglary costs nearly $7,800 in losses, the question isn’t whether you can afford professional security. It’s whether you can afford to go without it.

Kevin Pentecost has spent more than two decades in Tulsa answering that question for families and businesses. When he’s not protecting his community, he can be found hunting, fishing, piloting helicopters, or camping with the family he and his wife of more than 40 years have built together.

For those ready to upgrade from hope to protection, Metro Security USA can be reached at 918-249-5060 or at metrosecurityusa.com. Metro Security USA is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and serves residential and commercial clients statewide.