Do alarms deter burglars? What 422 of them said, and the catch
Secure Houses, AI-assisted writing · · updated
Do alarms actually put burglars off, or do they just make owners feel better? One of the few studies that asked the people who know, burglars themselves, gives a clear answer, with two caveats worth knowing before you spend money on it.
What the burglars said
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte surveyed 422 burglars chosen at random from prisons in North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio [1]. About 83% said they would try to find out whether an alarm was present before a burglary, and 60% said they would seek another target if there was one [1]. Among those who discovered an alarm partway through, half said they would give up the attempt and 31% that they would sometimes retreat [1].
| Of the burglars surveyed [1] | Share |
|---|---|
| Would check for an alarm first | about 83% |
| Would go elsewhere if a house had one | 60% |
| Would stop if they found one mid-attempt | 50% |
| Would sometimes retreat if they found one mid-attempt | 31% |
The two caveats
First, the study was funded by the alarm industry's research foundation [1]. That does not make the answers wrong, but it is worth knowing who asked the question. Second, everyone surveyed had been caught. Burglars who never were may choose targets differently, and what someone says in a survey is not always what they do on a doorstep.
The cheapest step comes first
The same burglars said how they got in: most entered through open windows or doors, or forced a window or door open [1]. Only about one in eight said they picked locks or used a key [1]. For a household on a budget, that puts the order of spending plain: close and lock what is already there before paying for anything that beeps.
Check yourself
What share of the burglars would check for an alarm before breaking in? About 83% [1].
How did most of them get in? Through open windows or doors, or by forcing them; about one in eight picked a lock or used a key [1].
Why read the 60% with some care? The survey was funded by the alarm industry, and it asked only burglars who had been caught [1].
General information. A notebook entry for securehouses.xyz, written with AI and checked by hand; every figure is quoted from the university's report of the survey.