Home security: Doorbell cameras can actually attract burglars, says crime expert, as best deterrents revealed
A homeowner who watched in horror from her Ring doorbell app as men in balaclavas attempted to break into her house, is urging people to re-think their property's safety measures. Doorbell cameras and other tech can actually encourage criminals, a university professor has said. But why? And what should you be using instead?
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00:00 Despite having all the home security mod cons like mobile phone controlled burglar alarms
00:06 and front doorbell cameras, one homeowner speaking to the Times newspaper described
00:10 waking up on a family holiday to a notification of movement at her property at 3am. The footage
00:16 showed two men in balaclavas, undeterred by the security systems, attempting to break
00:21 into her home. Most of us would assume these measures would be a deterrent for potential
00:25 thieves but Professor Claire Nee, founder of the University of Portsmouth's International
00:30 Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology, says they can actually be attractive to criminals.
00:36 She's interviewed hundreds of convicted burglars as part of her research and says it's because
00:40 they are a wealth cue. It means there's going to be something worth stealing. So what measures
00:45 should we be implementing to best protect our homes according to the experts? Secure
00:50 window locks, indoor lights on a timer, external lights on a timer or sensor and double door
00:55 locks or deadlocks are the best deterrent according to the research.