Homes without security systems fall victim to crime 75% more often than other properties. Burglars prefer properties that obscure the view of passers-by, but lighting strategies aren’t all created equal. Professor Marcus Felson says this about effective security lighting:
• It should be visible enough to alert neighbors to crime.
• It should not give burglars enough light to function easily.
• Lights should be attached to motion sensors to give the impression that residents are home and awake.
The contradiction in those three functions may be behind the patchy results of most security lighting studies. Bright floodlights encourage crime rather than deter it. When public schools in Texas removed all their outdoor lighting in the Seventies, vandalism all but evaporated, but technology has moved forward since then. It’s now possible to use light to your advantage.
Mimicking Life
Automated and infrared lights cut down on energy costs while effectively deterring crime. Timers that turn indoor lights on one room at a time create the impression of movement and don’t provide enough lighting to make life easier for thieves. In rural and secluded areas where visibility is always obscured, lights help rather than hinder thieves, so strategies must vary according to what passers-by can see from the street. Since burglars tend to target the same property multiple times, your security strategy should be proactive and adjusted if crimes do occur.
The Limitations of Light
Lighting’s power over your safety is limited because the vast majority of burglaries happen in summer, with a mere 35% occurring at night. Neighborly connections are thus one of the most effective ways to combat crime. When property owners are aware of one another’s schedules and vacations, unusual activity is easier to spot. A sense of community might be old fashioned, but it’s as efficient as it’s always been.
Premier Lighting wants you to feel safer. Visit our website or showrooms to view products that give you and your family peace and comfort.
