NCJ Number
184470
Journal
American Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2000 Pages: 155-167
Date Published
2000
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article tests the efficacy of home security measures.
Abstract
Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) assumes criminal acts are influenced by their inherent costs and benefits. Policy implications drawn from CPTED suggest that home security measures increase these costs and reduce the likelihood of burglary. A telephone survey of 566 residents of Mobile County, AL, inquired about security measures used by burglary victims and nonvictims. A logistic regression solution found some, but not all, of these security measures to be quite effective. Homes were systematically avoided if they exhibited characteristics likely to result in the burglar’s being caught. Homes were at significantly greater risk of victimization if: (1) the burglar saw signs that the neighborhood was not cohesive, (2) the burglar would not be confronted by the resident, (3) the home was not sufficiently secure or (4) the burglar would not be seen by a neighbor. Manipulation of either target or guardian aspects of the environment affected victimization in accordance with expectations. Tables, references