SECURITY firms say panic button and armed response plans cost around $450 a month, but warn they work best alongside more comprehensive home security measures.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told a stand-your-ground consultation in her Siparia constituency on Monday that she has a panic button at her Philippine home to deter criminals, calling it a useful tool until home invasion legislation is implemented.

Air Support Tactical Security CEO Dirk Barnes said he supported the use of such systems. “For panic buttons, for residential emergency response, I say it’s integral as well—not just because I’m a provider of those panic buttons, but I’ve been using them for many, many years,” he told TV6 yesterday.