I doubt alarm monitoring services are kept up. I think most of those signs you see out front of houses – “Protected by [BRAND X] security system” – are about systems that have fallen into disrepair.
That’s a guess, but I’m pretty confident about it.
You need to keep changing the batteries in every single component. Every entry way with a sensor and every room with a motion detector now has a battery. A house can easily have 20 new batteries to change. Each of these components is manufactured cheaply and most will need to be replaced or upgraded at some point.
The codes need to be kept secret, or they need to be changed from time to time. The safe word needs to be taught to everybody and then remembered. The kids have to be kept from hitting the panic button or arming the system using the one-click button on your keychain. And of course you need to keep paying the alarm monitoring service, for life.
What’s the alternative? Security measures that are permanent. One-shot investments.
Good quality locks. Fix the strike plate to make it hard to kick the door in. Get rid of glass windows within arms reach of a doorknob.
Once you make a fix like that, it keeps on repelling thieves indefinitely.