| The Facts: | Property Crimes are Dropping…
The crime rate for property crimes has decreased by 1.1 percent in 2004, a 14.4 percent decrease since 1995.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report 2004 What is considered a burglary….
Burglary is defined as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as a burglary. Burglary is categorized into three sub classifications: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report 2004 Security Systems Decrease Likelihood of burglary…
In a survey of 1,000 police and fire chiefs, 85 percent of the police officials said security systems decrease the likelihood a home will be burglarized. Almost 90 percent felt security systems increase their chances of apprehending burglars, and 85 percent said they encourage the installation of electronic security systems in residences and businesses in their communities.
Source: Private Security Report from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration People Feel Safe with Security Systems…
94 percent of alarm owners are satisfied with their alarm systems.
Source: Dr. Simon Hakim, Temple University, 215-204-5037 Facts about Burglar Bars…
California has passed laws requiring that security bars used on escape windows be releasable and that all security bars be labeled with safety information. Mississippi and Texas have laws with varying requirements. Underwriters Laboratories has set standards for window-bar releasing systems.
Source: National Fire Protection Association (www.NFPA.org) Basic Precautions to Reduce Burglary…
There are four basic types of precautions which must be provided to significantly reduce the chance of burglary: - Deterring Measures: These are security measures which are likely to lower the chance of a break-in when the burglar cruises the neighborhood in search of a target. Burglars search for homes that appear to be unoccupied. Thus, deterring measures suggest that somebody is at home. For example, a car in the driveway, motion sensitive exterior lights, interior lights, and radios and TVs on timers, all give the impression that someone is in the home.
- Preventive Measures: These are security measures which make the actual break-in more difficult and/or time consuming. Burglars spend no more than 60 seconds breaking into a home. Measures which rise this time may cause burglars to change their mind. Some examples include deadbolt locks, bars on windows, and pins in sash windows.
- Detection Measures: These are measures which detect the presence of an intruder on the premises and send a message out. Only a burglar alarm serves that purpose.
- Managerial Measures: In nature, these measures are in the deterrence category. They are not physical precaution measures like the three previous categories but are associated with the deterring category in their objective, which is to produce the impression that somebody is home. They include stopping newspaper and mail delivery, notifying police when you will be away, and having neighbors watch your home.
Source: Dr. Simon Hakim, Temple University, 215-204-5037 |