an anti-theft device works best if it is a deterrent. To be one, it must be widely known to would-be thieves that stealing property protected by these devices would be in vain.

the moral of the story is that if the anti-theft device is new and not widely known, then it is not a deterrent, but a recovery mechanism, at which point damage has been done to your property.

it's just like those car radios that do not work without the faceplate, when they were newly introduced to the market.