Many years ago, when indoor shopping malls were still a thing for my generation, I was visiting a home security store to look at video surveillance cameras. I happened upon a display of fake home security signs and wondered why the store was selling them. So I asked.
I was told that fake home security signs can fool burglars. I wasn’t sure I could believe it back then. But decades and several scientific studies later, I now understand the point the store clerk was making. It is a point worth thinking about because it tells us a lot about burglars.
Burglars Don’t Like Security Systems
Fake home security signs are created based on the understanding that burglars try to avoid security systems. A security system increases the chances of a burglar being caught in the act. And with modern video cameras now in play, security systems also generate evidence police can use to identify and hunt down burglars.
The question is whether the fake signs do anything. In a word, yes. Numerous studies, including one conducted among more than 400 convicts in North Carolina, clearly demonstrate that burglars try to figure out if a home is protected by a security system before moving forward with a burglary attempt. Some 60% said they would look for another target if a home security system were discovered.
This implies that fake home security signs work if burglars believe they are legitimate. Therein lies the catch. Any burglar with a smartphone can look up a home security company’s name to see if it is legit. Identifying a fake home security sign would tell a burglar that a home is not really protected. Still, the mere fact that a burglar would take the time to check tells us something very important.
It Only Takes a Sliver of Doubt
If you haven’t caught on to what all of this means, it boils down to a single word: doubt. It only takes a sliver of doubt to encourage a burglar to second guess his plans. Burglars are like the rest of us. They do not want to be caught breaking the law. So if there is any doubt in their minds that they can pull off a burglary successfully, they will think twice about it.
None of this is to say that homeowners should rely exclusively on fake home security signs to keep their homes safe. It is to say that they should do whatever they can to create doubt in a burglar’s mind. If a burglar can be forced to doubt his own success, the chances of him moving on are pretty good.
Installing a Genuine Security System
Casting doubt in the minds of otherwise confident burglars is one of the big reasons behind installing a genuine security system. As Vivint Smart Home explains, window and door sensors, video cameras, and motion sensitive lighting are not very strong barriers against burglary.
Door sensors don’t prevent a door from being kicked in. Window sensors do not reinforce glass so that it can’t be broken. So then what is the point?
The point of installing a home security system is to deter criminals by increasing the chances that they will get caught. As those chances go up, so does the amount of doubt in a burglar’s mind.
We know from surveys conducted among actual burglars that fake security system signs prevent burglary if criminals are convinced that they are real. But that’s only because burglars are afraid of real security systems. It is all about a burglar’s confidence. If he doubts his success, he will second guess his choices.