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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Building on past research, this study closely examined the decision-making processes of 422 randomly-selected, incarcerated male and female burglars across three states (North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio). The central research questions that guided the project included the following:
1. What motivates burglars to engage in burg...
Citations
... Video surveillance is valuable in fighting crime. It can deter criminal activity [1], [2], give clues for solving crimes [3], and provide forensic evidence for criminal trials [4]. For example, surveillance videos were crucial to discovering the Boston Marathon bombers in 2013 [5], and in successfully prosecuting them [6]. ...
We propose hardware acceleration for a new edge computing abstraction called a Silent Witness. This abstraction embodies a severe asymmetry in the ease of write versus read operations. Surveillance data from one or more video cameras is continuously encrypted and recorded, but the decrypting, processing, or transmission of that data only occurs under stringent privacy controls. For the new search workloads of such a system, decode-enabled storage alleviates the scalability bottleneck imposed by frequent decoding of data. Our experiments show throughput improvements up to 3.5x for typical search workloads of a Silent Witness.
... While there are findings that alarm systems act as an important factor (Garcia-Retamero & Dhami, 2009), Pascoe and Lawrence (1998) concluded that there was only qualitative evidence suggesting the effectiveness of alarm systems to deter burglary. Likewise, some researchers found that the presence of cameras has only limited influence (Hamilton-Smith & Kent, 2005;Verwee, Ponsaers, & Enhus, 2007), although others have shown the influence of the CCTVs (Blevins, Kuhns, & Lee, 2012;Poyner, 1993). In this study, we did not find a significant influence of the security alarm/camera on selecting the intrusion route on the site-boundary. ...
This study examines how the environmental features of residential property influence the choice of intrusion routes in a burglary, based on the assumption that burglars mainly judge whether there are proper intrusion routes rather than assessing the entire house. In order to collect reliable data, a virtual reality technique was used to simulate the choices of intrusion routes. Frequency analysis was conducted to examine the various features of intrusion route selection. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors influencing the choice of intrusion route. The findings indicated that the choice of intrusion routes of the site-boundary and the building was strongly affected by physical features related to the ease of penetration of possible intrusion routes. Moreover, participants tended to consider the risk of detection when comparing intrusion routes that do not function as normal entrances, such as the side-window and the 2nd-floor window. The findings of this study provide clues to examine more specific decision-making processes of burglars and suggest various advantages of virtual reality as an experimental tool, especially in the field of environmental psychology.
... Studies have been done on alarms and security devices on their impact in the prevention of burglars. From a sampled 1513 burglars imprisoned in Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina, about 60 percent agreed that the presence of an alarm device would discourage them from making a burglary attempt on a facility (Blevins, et al, 2012). Similarly, of the studied 82 offenders in a community in Southern England identified through snowball sampling, it was found out that 84 per cent rated the installation of an alarm system outside a facility as a deterrent (Hearnden & Magill, 2004). ...
... For this reason, it is expected for it to have come second to manned guarding. The same had been found in other studies that, alarm response service was perceived as more favorable because its crew are reliable when responding to criminal activities (Blevins, et al, 2012;Tseloni, et al, 2016). ...
... This concurs with a study which acknowledged that, the installation of an alarm system outside a facility reduces perceptions of threats to the users (Hearnden & Magill, 2004). Similarly, another study informed that, the presence of CCTVs and security devices gives the users a peace of mind from threats (Blevins, et al, 2012). ...
The Contribution of Commercial Security Services on National Security
... Studies have been done on alarms and security devices on their impact in the prevention of burglars. From a sampled 1513 burglars imprisoned in Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina, about 60 percent agreed that the presence of an alarm device would discourage them from making a burglary attempt on a facility (Blevins, et al, 2012). Similarly, of the studied 82 offenders in a community in Southern England identified through snowball sampling, it was found out that 84 per cent rated the installation of an alarm system outside a facility as a deterrent (Hearnden & Magill, 2004). ...
... For this reason, it is expected for it to have come second to manned guarding. The same had been found in other studies that, alarm response service was perceived as more favorable because its crew are reliable when responding to criminal activities (Blevins, et al, 2012;Tseloni, et al, 2016). ...
... This concurs with a study which acknowledged that, the installation of an alarm system outside a facility reduces perceptions of threats to the users (Hearnden & Magill, 2004). Similarly, another study informed that, the presence of CCTVs and security devices gives the users a peace of mind from threats (Blevins, et al, 2012). ...
Maintenance of security and good order for the citizens, had traditionally been undertaken by the state. However, non-state actors have come up to offer security to those who can afford to pay for it. And this is the liberalists view of the provision of security that, the pursuance of security can be achieved with the involvement of other actors offering the same. Despite this development, few studies have examined commercialized security industry services on national security in Kenya. Using Security Governance theory and Network Analysis theory, this study sought to understand the topic. The study took on a cross sectional survey design, and was carried out in Nairobi with the adult residents as the target population. A multistage sampling technique was employed to obtain the respondents. Questionnaires, scheduled interviews and structured observation were used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25, 2017) was used in data management and analysis. The results demonstrate that (1) Manned guarding significantly contributes to the 26 % of outcome of the commercialized security B = .260, β = .135, P = .007; (2) Alarm and Electronics 22.9 %; B = .229, β = .224, P = .001; (3) CVIT security service contributes significantly and positively at 10.8 %; B = .108, β = .118, P = .018. While commercial investigative security service 3.6 % (B = .036, β = .084, P < = .103 although it was not significant. The study concluded that, commercialized security though motivated by profit making plays a significant role that enhances state capacity in provision of security as well as contributes to safety of citizens. Thus the study recommended that, there should be efforts to increase the usage of commercialized security investigation service. It is expected that the findings of this research will provide data that can be used to inform policy and practice amongst commercial security providers to increase their impact on national security in Kenya. The data can also stimulate the academic community towards more research in the field.
... A recent criminological report investigates the motivation and decision making of burglars by interviewing offenders. It found that offenders are deterred from burglarizing a target home when they see a sticker on the window or a sign posted indicating that there is either an alarm system or a dog on the premises (Blevins et al. 2012). These stickers or signs are types of signals. ...
In this study, we argue that institutional factors determine the extent to which hospitals are symbolic or substantive adopters of information technology (IT) specific organizational practices. We then propose that symbolic and substantive adoption will moderate the effect that IT security investments have on reducing the incidence of data security breaches over time. Using data from three different sources, we create a matched panel of over 5,000 U.S. hospitals and 938 breaches over the 2005-2013 time frame. Using a growth mixture model approach to model the heterogeneity in likelihood of breach, we use a two class solution in which hospitals that (1) belong to smaller health systems, (2) are older, (3) smaller in size, (4) for-profit, (5) non-academic, (6) faith-based, and (7) less entrepreneurial with IT are classified as symbolic adopters. We find that symbolic adoption diminishes the effectiveness of IT security investments, resulting in an increased likelihood of breach. Contrary to our theorizing, the use of more IT security is not directly responsible for reducing breaches, but instead, institutional factors create the conditions under which IT security investments can be more effective. Implications of these findings are significant for policy and practice, the most important of which may be the discovery that firms need to consider how adoption is influenced by institutional factors and how this should be balanced with technological solutions. In particular, our results support the notion that deeper integration of security into IT-related processes and routines leads to fewer breaches, with the caveat that it takes time for these benefits to be realized.
... We provide an abbreviated summary of the data and methodology here, but a full description is available elsewhere (Blevins, Kuhns, & Lee, 2012). Survey data were collected from inmates in state prisons in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio who were sentenced on a burglary charge. ...
Relying on rational choice theory, we compare burglars’ varying levels of offense planning to understand differences among types of burglars. Surveys were collected from a sample of incarcerated male and female burglars in three states. Participants answered questions detailing aspects of a burglary including motivations, target selection, deterrents, and techniques. Comparisons were made between 119 deliberate (32%) and 257 impulsive (68%) burglars. Deliberate burglars focused on obtaining cash, whereas impulsive burglars were more motivated by drug habits. Impulsive burglars were more easily dissuaded from a target when multiple obstacles are present. Burglars consider how many obstacles they may have to overcome, providing support for rational choice-based, situational crime prevention efforts. Differences in burglar motivation emerged and are discussed.
... It may be that the alarm provided an additional cue as to resident affluence (Cromwell and Olson, 2006). Blevins et al (2012) sent self-completion questionnaires to a sample of 1513 burglars incarcerated in Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina. They achieved a response rate of 28 per cent. ...
Burglar alarms are widely used as a means to try to reduce the risk of domestic burglary. Previous research has suggested that some burglars are deterred by alarms and that they are therefore effective. Using multiple sweeps of the Crime Survey for England and Wales, the research reported here sought to corroborate these findings. It finds that alarms have become associated with increased rather than decreased risk of burglary with entry. This counter-intuitive finding needs to be treated cautiously. A series of hypotheses that might explain it are outlined.
Burglary has declined markedly in the U.S.A. We investigate whether increased imports from China (the China Trade Shock), by reducing the market value of theft-worthy goods, reduced the incentive to commit this and other property crimes. Panel data models reveal lower property crime rates in association with increased Chinese imports and comparable effects in relation to other prominent trade partners, indicating minimal property crime displacement effects. Some import effects do link to increased violent crime rates, but none in relation to imports from China. The results illustrate how expanded trade provides social benefits in addition to its well-established economic benefits.
Security has consistently been a significant worry for mankind. Today we have video surveillance cameras in schools, hospitals and every other public place that help keep these spaces secure. This is also including places with vehicles such as parking spaces and garages, and it would be embedded with a security guard that would also help monitor and verify entrance of any incoming vehicle, as well as controlling the opening and closing of the gate. The project will aim to develop a smart car plate recognition device that can monitor and survey the area, as well as detect and analyze vehicle license plates. A sensor will detect the incoming vehicle, then a camera will take a screenshot of the front of the vehicle with the license plate. The license plate is scanned then checked whether it is registered to determine whether it is allowed or denied entry, and the device will troubleshoot by sending SMS to a fixed phone number regarding any issues. We will use a supervised Machine Learning Optical Character Recognition model known as Tesseract AI. This pre-trained, multi-language AI will detect and extract the numbers and letters on the license plate. Before this process starts, we will clean the image of any noise by performing changes to the original image, such as switching to grayscale and brightening, in-order to increase the accuracy of the OCR and minimize error. These extracted numbers and letters will then be checked within the database one entry after the other until it detects a match. This device will be a direct upgrade over the traditional system of simply including a CCTV camera and a guard as the device will operate independently to a point that no human input is required and will require no installation of on-site servers or setup of databases, thus saving manpower and reducing cost and complexity.
The growth and expansion of commercialized security markets are as a result of deficiencies in the ability of nations to effectively deliver security-related services. Therefore, a range of players is explicitly looked upon to supplement the supply of security services. Perhaps, the most important of these players are the commercial security firms, which have developed and grown expansively. These firms provide some aspect of security/policing services to their fee-paying consumers aimed at protecting the people and their physical assets, as opposed to public security which is a public good. The commercialized security industry has grown and expanded in Nairobi, Kenya, and offers a range of security services. Despite this development, few studies have examined the effects of these services on national security in Nairobi, Kenya. Using the Security Governance theory and Network Analysis theory, this study sought to understand the subject matter.
The study took on a cross-sectional survey design and was carried out in Nairobi with the adult residents as the target population. A multistage sampling technique was employed to obtain the wards to be studied, whereas those who purchase or manage commercial security services for their organizations and management of the commercial security firms were purposively sampled, the general public and the security guards were systematically sampled. Questionnaires, scheduled interviews, and structured observation were used to collect data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25, 2017) was used in data management and analysis. In the analysis, descriptive statistics used included percentages and frequency distribution tables. These descriptive statistics were used to summarize variables into thematic areas and to convey the characteristics of key variables. Inferential statistics used was Multiple Regression analysis to establish relationships, provide predictions, and in concluding.
The results demonstrated that the study identified five effects with each having a unique variance on national security: Visible presence that discourages criminal activities (B = .372, β = .383, P=.001), detection of criminal and harmful activities by the electronic devices (B=.250, β = .257, P = .001), intervention in stopping crime and harm (B = .213, β=.194, P = .001), intelligence on criminal activities through surveillance (B = .176, β= .159, P = .001) and creating a culture of security and crime awareness (B = .086, β = .076, P = .024). Together, both were significant predictors of national security F(5,368) = 111.42, p ˂ .001, R2 = .231.
The study concluded that the effects of commercialized security on national security bring to fore the huge responsibility the industry is endowed with. Consequently, there should be favorable mechanisms in the country that can oversee the continuous development of the industry. The favorable mechanisms can only be realized through the consultation of the stakeholders: the commercial security industry, the citizens, and the state. Thus the study recommended that the Private Security Regulation Authority needs to start implementing some of the requirements that are in the PSRA No. 13 of 2016, which are meant to streamline the industry in terms of the training of the security guards, remunerations of the security guards, minimum requirements for recruitment and working environments. This is so that the country and citizens can benefit from the basis of which the authority was formed. It is expected that the findings of this research will provide data that can be used to inform policy and practice amongst commercial security providers to increase their impact on national security in Kenya. The data can also stimulate the academic community towards more research in the field.
