Will security features discourage burglary?

Security Features.

by Bob Goldsmith.

Will security features discourage burglary?

How
do burglars choose the homes they decide to burgle?

A recent research
study carried out in the United Kingdom suggests that the presence of
alarm systems or watchdogs do not deter burglars. And that they choose
residences that appear easy to enter, easy to escape from and appear to
be lucrative targets.

The research involved interviewing male prisoners aged between 21 and
60 years all of whom had carried out between 20 to 100 plus burglaries
within the preceding three years.

The research study was carried out by researchers on behalf of Portsmouth University.

The
researchers say that all 50 of the convicted burglars “felt security
features were rarely enough to deter them”.

However 17 (34%) said they
were dissuaded by alarms and 14 (28%) said the most common reason for
giving up on a burglary was “insurmountable security”.

Well, these
criminals may say that security features, which I think we can take to
mean alarm and surveillance systems, rarely deter them, but I believe
that 34% being put off burgling homes that have alarms, is a mighty good
endorsement for alarms.

alarm panel
 alarm panel

Likewise I find it comforting that 28% acknowledge that they find the
security at some homes to be insurmountable.

22 out of the 50 prisoners
said they are discouraged from breaking into homes guarded by dogs.

I
will say though, that I agree that most burglars will seek easy
targets, homes that don’t present much of an effort to gain entry. A
home with a carelessly left open window would be a good example.

Of
course, when I say “most burglars” I include the most casual and opportunistic of burglars, these types are not going to tackle any sort of security system.

Also, I do not put alarm and surveillance systems top of my list for making a home secure against intruders.

Top of my list are measures such as good locks in good doors set in good frames, quality window locks,
neighborhood watch, and making sure that my home looks occupied at all
times. But that does not mean that I do not recommend installing security systems.

As well as taking common sense measures I certainly do recommend
installing security systems, I wouldn’t want to live in a home without
them.

Why then did the interviewed burglars claim that “security features”
seldom discourage them? I wonder if there was perhaps an element of
bravado in their answers?
And I wonder if their statement that they
“choose residences that appear easy to enter, easy to escape from” is
the more revealing one.

Around two thirds of the prisoners claimed
that they follow a pattern once inside a home.

They said they first
make for the master bedroom, where they expect valuables to be hidden,
and then other bedrooms, including children’s rooms, and finally the
living rooms.

 House image
34% of burglars interviewed put off burgling homes that have alarms.

Yes, of course there are burglars that can indeed overcome most
“security features” that they come across, (in fact it would be foolish
to think of any home security measure as burglar proof.)

But the
truth is that there are innumerable housebreakers out there that have a
lesser degree of expertise.
These fellows will not be able to overcome
good home security measures, will bolt if they trigger an alarm, and will be defeated by securely locked doors.

What
do these less than expert burglars do when they decide that a home has
more security features than they can overcome? They move on. Sadly this
is usually to look for “residences that appear easy to enter, easy to
escape from and appear to be lucrative targets.”

I don’t know
about you, but I prefer my home to be one that has enough effective
security to cause most intending intruders to move on.







Security Features.


Information about PIR Detectors.
As part of your home security system PIR detectors (a.k.a. PIR Sensors) provide an affordable and effective method of guarding your home and beating the burglar.