HAVING a Ring doorbell can actually attract burglars rather than deter them, an expert has claimed.
Professor Claire Nee, founder of the University of Portsmouth’s International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology, says that having an alarm fitted indicates to thieves that there is something worth stealing.
She said she would never install a Ring doorbell or an alarm.
Prof Nee told The Times: “The majority of burglars just put a balaclava on because they’re aware of video footage.
“Alarms often actually attract burglars to houses. They are a wealth cue – it means there is going to be something worth stealing.
“Neighbours tend not to respond to alarms unless they go for ages and, even with monitored alarms [which call to police], you’re lucky if anyone arrives within 15 minutes. Most burglaries are over in eight to ten minutes.”
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That view is backed up by research carried out in 2019 by criminology professors at UCL, Nottingham Trent and Loughborough universities.
They found that alarms increased the risk of being burgled because they suggested there were valuables inside and gave “a false sense of protection that makes such households ‘careless’.”
The research found the best deterrents are secure window locks, indoor lights on a timer, external lights on a timer or sensor and double door locks or deadlocks.
Prof Nee advises homeowners to look for places where people could get in by jumping over gates or walls or breaking a weak window lock.
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She said: “A burglar will much prefer to go to the rear of the house if they can.
“That doesn’t mean they won’t go through the front door, because we are absolutely terrible at leaving our bags and car keys really near the front door.”
Steve Bromberg, managing director of Express Bi-Folding Doors says if you have glass doors and patios, suggested using laminated glass – two layers of glass bonded together – can help.
He said: “It’s the same glass that is used in shop fronts and would take ages to battle through,”
The firm SimpliSafe, which builds home security systems, advises putting up prickly hedges or climbers like gorse, hawthorn or rosa rugosa.
Using anti-climb paint at the top of fences and walls and spinning or rolling fence toppers can also be a deterrent.
Prof Nee said that burglars will target what they see as the “most lucrative” house in the neighbourhood.
The Sun Online has contacted Ring for comment.
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In March this year, The Sun revealed the most dangerous areas in the UK for burglaries.
While in July, figures showed an average of 584 burglaries a day go unsolved.
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