Why Professional Security Works: The Evidence
Published research and official statistics on what CCTV, layered security and live monitoring actually do to crime risk, drawn from the UK police evidence base and peer-reviewed studies.
Read the evidence.
Understand the setting.
Research can help explain why a system is designed a particular way. The useful questions are what was studied, where it was studied and what the findings can tell us about a different property.
1. CCTV and prevention
The College of Policing toolkit brings together research on CCTV and crime prevention. Its findings vary with the setting, offence type and the way a scheme is operated. Active monitoring and complementary measures are important parts of the evidence it discusses.
A useful design question
What problem should the cameras address, and how will the recordings or live observations be used?
2. CCTV and investigations
Ashby’s study examined crimes recorded on the British railway network between 2011 and 2015. Useful CCTV was associated with a greater chance of an investigation being solved for many offence types. The study concerns railway investigations; it does not establish a uniform outcome for every home or business.
A useful design question
Will the proposed camera views and recording arrangements help answer the questions that matter after an incident?
3. Combinations of household measures
This study examined household burglary and the availability of individual security devices and combinations of devices. Results varied by device and combination. It supports looking at physical measures together, but it is not a test of our installations or a direct comparison of today’s monitored and unmonitored alarm services.
A useful design question
How do the doors, windows, lighting, detection and everyday use of the property fit together?
4. Smoke alarms and fire context
Government home-fire guidance explains the importance of working smoke alarms. The NIFRS Annual Report 2024-25 supplies Northern Ireland service and incident context. An incident total is not a measurement of how a particular alarm system performs.
A useful design question
What detection and warning arrangements should be discussed for the people and property involved?
5. Business and product context
The Commercial Victimisation Survey describes the experiences of business premises in England and Wales. Its geography and survey period matter when using it to discuss a Northern Ireland business. For local recorded-crime context, use the area and reporting period shown in our crime reports.
Explore the local context
Our Crime In My Area pages show their own recorded-crime data and reporting boundaries.
Physical protection and product specification
We specify SBD and police-preferred hardware, including Abloy locking systems, wherever the site calls for it.
Read the sources
The studies and reports above cover different settings, periods and outcomes. They are not predictions of the result at a particular property.
The evidence, your questions
Does CCTV actually deter crime?
On the official UK evidence, yes. The College of Policing toolkit reports an average 13% crime reduction where CCTV is deployed, rising to around 34% when combined with measures like better lighting. Deterrence is strongest for property and vehicle crime, and actively monitored systems outperform passive ones.
Are burglar alarms worth having?
As part of a layered system, strongly yes. Crime Survey research shows homes with enhanced combinations of security devices face up to ten times lower burglary risk. A standalone bells-only alarm has a more mixed record in the research, which is why we specify alarms alongside detection, lighting and monitoring rather than on their own.
What difference does live monitoring make?
Monitoring converts a recording into a response. The College of Policing evidence base finds actively monitored CCTV performs better than unmonitored systems, and investigative research shows usable footage roughly doubles the chance of a crime being solved. Our control room monitors live, which is also how our cameras help locate high-risk missing persons alongside the Community Rescue Service.