Burglary is one the main concerns of homeowners in South Africa and housebreaking is still the most common crime in SA. In 2020, a staggering 1.2 million home break-ins were reported. In order to understand what motivated criminals, a lot of research has been done to determine how criminals choose their targets, and what exactly will cause them to avoid breaking into a particular house.

Combining the results of a plethora of studies involving former criminals, it was found that burglars are most likely to be put off breaking into homes by CCTV cameras and barking dogs, along with motion-activated security lights. The general philosophy underpinning the use of CCTV as a crime prevention tool is that it creates an awareness among potential offenders, that they are under surveillance and that there is a heightened risk of being apprehended by the authorities if a crime is committed. This notion, however, assumes that criminals, or potential criminals, are aware of the cameras, so it is extremely important to ensure that CCTV cameras are visible around and outside the perimeter of the house. To increase awareness of CCTV systems, camera ranges with motion activated lights and sirens provide a major advantage

If you install a security camera, your home is 300 % safer from break-ins than a home without a camera. Criminals don’t want to be watched or recorded. Police officers confirmed that having access to surveillance recordings made it much easier for them to investigate cases and apprehend and prosecute offenders when crimes were still committed.

Other security measures that can deter criminals are electric fences, detection beams and barking dogs. In South Africa in particular, the importance of using extreme caution when employing domestic workers cannot be overstated, 60% of all home invasions are carried out with the assistance of people working in the home or garden.