Can burglary prevention be low-carbon and effective?

Burglary-Prevention.Helen Skudder has conducted a study on the whether or not burglary prevention be low-carbon and effective, and the results are out.  The aim was to estimate the carbon footprint of security solutions.

The researchers used a systematic literature review to identify environmental declarations relating to burglary prevention measures. Such as door locks, window locks, lighting, CCTV and burglar alarms. Of the measures considered, door locks were found to be one of the most desirable. Offering good security with a low carbon footprint of only 13kg CO2e per household (with a carbon payback ratio of 80, demonstrating a footprint 80 times smaller than that of a burglary).

Window locks are seen to have a carbon payback ratio of 20.

Burglary-PreventionFurther Details on the Study

An extract from the abstract of the study:

There has been limited study to date on the environmental impacts of crime prevention measures. We address this shortfall by estimating the carbon footprint associated with the most widely used burglary prevention measures: door locks, window locks, burglar alarms, lighting and CCTV cameras.

See the full study here: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1057%2Fs41284-017-0091-4

This is one of the first studies to investigate the environmental impact of security products, useful for those in the industry and home owners alike.

Helen Skudder said:

“This research highlights that burglar alarms and CCTV are far more carbon-intensive than door and window locks, and less effective from a security standpoint. It is clear that careful choice of burglary prevention measures has the potential to save carbon emissions, whilst still ensuring a secure and safe home.”

The research was conducted between academic and industrial partners at the University of Surrey, the University of Warwick, Nottingham Trent University, the Home Office and Secured by Design. It was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Home Office and Secured by Design Police Crime Prevention Initiatives Limited.