Connecting and Protecting What Matters Most
In case you missed it, this past February Rutgers University published a study that credited the drop in burglaries in Newark NJ to an increase in the amount of registered alarm systems, proving something we already knew. What is interesting, however, is that burglar alarm systems did not displace the burglaries to other homes in the neighborhood. Here is the full release:
Study Links Burglary Reduction to Increase in Alarms Systems
NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ — A comprehensive study of five years of
statistics by researchers at the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice
(SCJ) in Newark found that residential burglar alarm systems decrease crime.
While other studies have concluded that most burglars avoid alarm systems,
this is the first study to focus on alarm systems while scientifically ruling
out other factors that could have impacted the crime rate.
Researchers concentrated on analyzing crime data provided by the Newark Police
Department. “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,” said study author Dr. Seungmug (a.k.a. Zech) Lee, who
received his doctoral degree from SCJ in 2008 and presently teaches at Ohio
Northern University in Ada, Ohio. “The study credits the alarms with the
decrease in burglaries and the city’s overall crime rate.”
In short, the study found that an installed burglar alarm makes a dwelling
less attractive to the would-be and active intruders and protects the home
without displacing burglaries to nearby homes.
The study also concluded that the deterrent effect of alarms is felt in the
community at large. “Neighborhoods in which burglar alarms were densely
installed have fewer incidents of residential burglaries than the
neighborhoods with fewer burglar alarms,” the study noted.
The study was conducted with the cooperation of the Newark Police Department
and reviewed five years of police data. The more than 300-page study was
conducted over a two-year period and funded by the non-profit Alarm Industry
Research and Educational Foundation (AIREF). SCJ Professors George L. Kelling,
Marcus Felson and Ronald V. Clarke and Professor Robert D. McCrie of John Jay
College of Criminal Justice in New York were members of the study’s Faculty
Advisory Committee. Dr. Clarke served as committee chair.
“This type of study assists police departments to effectively deploy their
limited resources,” said Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy. “The School of
Criminal Justice provides valuable insight into the positive impact alarm
systems can have in preventing residential burglaries.”
“This is the most comprehensive study of its kind that has ever been
conducted,” said Dr. Lee. “By using sophisticated in-depth research
techniques, we were able to eliminate the variables that impact crime rates
and focus directly on the impact alarm systems have on residential
burglaries.”
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. “Computers, printed circuits, digital
communicators, and microprocessors have refined monitoring and signaling
technology, and modern electronic sensors now include ultrasonic, infrared and
microwave devices which were formerly available only in more sophisticated
commercial and industrial applications,” said Dr. Lee.
Researchers also pointed to an earlier study based on interviews with burglars
(“Burglars on the Job 1994,” Northeastern University Press) to support their
conclusions. That study concluded, “Most offenders, though, wanted to avoid
alarms altogether and, upon encountering such devices, abandoned all thought
of attacking the dwelling.”
For more information about “The Impact of Home Burglar Alarm Systems on
Residential Burglaries” study, please contact Dr. Lee at 419-772-2597,
s-lee.8@onu.edu or ezech0725@gmail.com.
MORE ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Rutgers School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) is a major national and international
center for scholarly research on all aspects of policing, delinquency, crime,
and criminal justice administration. This provides a basis for its educational
programs that also fulfill public service obligations by helping to address
the needs of criminal justice agencies within the city, state, nation, and
world.
Based at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, SCJ’s faculty includes some
of the top scholars in the field, and the Ph.D. program in criminology has
been ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The doctoral
program continues to set the standard for doctoral training, and SCJ’s
graduating students are highly sought after by universities recruiting new
faculty. All of the degree programs offered by SCJ provide classroom as well
as research opportunities that prepare students for positions in research,
teaching, and criminal justice system management and policymaking. For more
information on the school, please visit www.rutgers-newark.rutgers.edu/rscj.
SOURCE Rutgers University in Newark, Office of Communications
Dr. Lee, +1-419-772-2597, s-lee.8@onu.edu or ezech0725@gmail.com, for Rutgers
University in Newark, Office of Communications; or Ferlanda Fox Nixon,
ferlanda@andromeda.rutgers.edu, or Helen Paxton, paxton@andromeda.rutgers.edu,
both of Office of Communications of Rutgers, The State University of New
Jersey, +1-973-353-5262, fax, +1-973-353-1050
and the link to the Reuters story: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS262100+05-Feb-2009+PRN20090205
How To Buy A Burglar Alarm posts are intended primarily for first time alarm system buyers.
With the crime rate going up, more people are considering installing alarm systems in their home. Since most people have never had an alarm system before, the options available and ways of protecting a home are many and confusing. Here is how to start: Pick the alarm company first. Ask people that you know with alarm systsems if they are happy with the service. Be specific. There are really 2 services – the monitoirng service and the installation and repair service that the local alarm company provides. If something goes wrong they are the ones that have to show up and fix it. Let’s talk about the local alarm company first. Are they available 24 hours a day, with someone always answering the phone. If something is beeping at 3AM are they available. Is someone always on call that can help you either on the phone or come out and make a repair. Ask the salesperson. If not, keep looking. As for the salesperson, do they have any experience with the installation of one. If so, they won’t make promises that can’t possibly be kept. Find out how long the salesperson has been in the security industry, and what did they sell before. What kind of training have they had. Are they licensed? Do they know about equipment other than the one that they sell. Can they tell you why something should be done a particular way? You are trying to find out if they really know what they are talking about, and not just read some brochures and had a crash 3 hour course. Here is a really important one – will they give you their cell phone # so you can reach them after the installation if there are any problems. Next post we will talk about the alarm company itself.
Voice Over Internet Protocol is becoming more and more popular, primarily because it is usually cheaper than traditional phone service (POTS). If you have an alarm system, there is a chance that your alarm panel can not communicate over VOIP, this is particularly true if you have a third party VOIP provider like Vonage. If you receive your VOIP service directly from the cable company or phone company (Not over DSL), there is a good chance that it will work.
You should, however, be aware that a power outage will stop your modem from working, and the alarm panel can not dial out. The alarm system has a back up battery. At the very least, you should have a UPS (back up battery) that the modem is plugged into. This will work for short periods but not for long outages.
If you switch to VOIP, you should contact your alarm company in advance so they can best direct you how to test your system and determine if any phone wiring is required.
Once VOIP is active, you should test your system with the central station and then test your system regularly.
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
The life expectancy of a carbon monoxide detector which is part of a security system is approximately 5 to 6 years. After this period of time, if carbon monoxide is present, there is a good chance that the unit will not be able to detect the gas.
Depending on the brand, notification of sensor failure is different. Some units have the expiration date written on a label under the cover. Other units have a combination of visual notification and chirping.
It is not a bad idea to be proactive and if your units are 5 years old, have the sensors replaced.
SMOKE DETECTORS
Smoke detectors have a life expectancy of 10 – 15 years and when they fail, have a tendency to false alarm. Commercial fire alarm systems are required to have their systems inspected at least once a year by a licensed contractor in accordance with NFPA standards. No such requirement exists for residential fire alarms, but it is highly recommended that these systems be checked for proper operation as well.
