NCJ Number
145448
Journal
CPCU Journal Dated: (June 1992) Pages: 98-107
Date Published
1992
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Data collected from three suburban communities in Pennsylvania were used to examine the attributes of residential units that make them most vulnerable to burglaries, the effectiveness of alarms, and the factors that motivate homeowners to buy alarm systems.
Abstract
The three communities differed in their population and locational attributes, type of housing, commercial and manufacturing mix, and demographic characteristics of homeowners. Data were obtained from police files, commercial real estate assessments, and questionnaires. Location of the residence (neighborhood, specific street, specific property on the street, and point of entry to the property) was the most important factor in explaining the incidence of burglaries. A burglar's decision is affected by the homeowner's hardening precautions, which address deterrence, prevention, or detection. A centrally monitored alarm system appears to be the only effective detection component. The authors recommend that insurance companies adopt a proactive approach to enhance the protection of properties which represent their largest financial burden, namely by increasing the premium discount for homeowners who install alarm systems. 1 table, 6 figures, and 5 references