A recent study by the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) in Newark, N.J., found that an installed burglar alarm makes a dwelling less attractive to would-be and active intruders.
The study, which was funded by the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation (AIREF), also concluded that the deterrent effect of alarms is felt in the community at large.
The comprehensive analysis examined five years worth of statistics provided by the Newark Police Department. The researchers used the information to scientifically rule out other factors that could have impacted the crime rate.
“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 Dr. Seungmug Lee, who authored the report. “The study credits the alarms with the decrease in burglaries and the city’s overall crime rate.”
The study noted that “technology innovations” have increased the availability of home security systems to middle-class homeowners and that technology has made the systems more dependable.
