Study: Alarm Systems Reduce Crime
It might seem apparent that alarm
systems reduce crime, but it's far from obvious. Traditionally, studies have concluded that most burglars avoid alarm systems; instead of reducing crime, it displaces it.
Breaking from tradition is a five-year study by the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice on crime statistics in Newark, N.J. It's the first study to focus on alarm systems while scientifically ruling out other factors that could have impacted the crime rate.
"The Impact of Home Burglar Alarm Systems on Residential Burglaries" found an installed burglar alarm makes a dwelling less attractive to the would-be intruder and protects the home without displacing burglaries to nearby homes. The study also concluded, "Neighbor-
hoods in which burglar alarms were densely installed have fewer incidents of residential burglaries than the neighbor hoods with fewer burglar alarms:'
The study credits the alarms with the decrease in burglaries.
The results give integrators who install residential and commercial alarm systems another strong sales point to make with potential customers. Security, after all, is generally less vulnerable to recession and offers a strong recurring revenue stream for dealers.
"Data showed that a steady decrease in burglaries in Newark between 2001 and 2005 coincided with an increase in
the number of registered home burglar alarms," says study author Dr. Seungmug Lee. "The study credits the alarms with the decrease in burglaries and the city's overall crime rate."
The study adds that "technology inno vations" have increased the availability of security systems to middle-class hom eowners and has made the systems more dependable.
"Computers, printed circuits, digi tal communicators and microprocessors have refined monitoring and signaling technology;' Lee explains, "and modern electronic sensors now include ultrason ic, infrared and microwave devices, which were formerly available only in more sophisticated commercial and industrial applications." _ -Jason Knott
>