NCJ Number
115095
Journal
Home Office Research and Planning Unit Research Bulletin Issue: 21 Dated: (1986) Pages: 10-13
Date Published
1986
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Using 1984 British Crime Survey (BCS) data on burglaries which fail to gain entry, this paper explores the effectiveness of security hardware in preventing residential burglaries.
Abstract
BCS data were gathered in two sweeps in which some 11,000 households in England and Wales were interviewed. The survey shows that attempted burglary comprises a significant proportion of total burglaries: two-fifths of all burglaries uncovered by the BCS were unsuccessful. After examining reasons underlying failure, the authors conclude that security hardware confers some protection on individual households. They caution, however, that achieving averall reduction in burglary depends on two intertwined questions. The first concerns the extent to which burglary is an opportunistic offense, and the second involves displacement. Research on both areas is reviewed and recommendations offered concerning future research directions. Tables and 13 references.