In addition to security systems and cameras, many businesses and homeowners tend to use lights as a possible way to keep criminals from entering and vandalizing the property.
According to several studies, outdoor lighting has little to no effect on crime. A few studies have found that crime decreased where outdoor lighting increased. None of these studies focused specifically on burglary, however.
If you’re like most people in first-world countries, you depend on outdoor lighting to make your home appear safer at night.
Outdoor cameras help to keep burglars away, but what about lighting?
You probably think that porch lights, floodlights, landscape lights, and even streetlights are important for keeping burglars and other criminals away.
But, if studies show that outdoor lighting doesn’t really help, what does that mean for you? Should you keep using your porch light to keep burglars away, or is it a pointless effort?
In this article, we’ll look at the actual statistics on outdoor lighting and crime, plus any advantages or disadvantages of using outdoor security lighting.
Using Outdoor Lights To Keep Burglars Away
Whether or not outdoor lighting deters burglars is open for debate.
Most people believe keeping their porch light on will prevent criminals from lurking around their front door.
But what about windows on the sides of your house, away from the light? What about the back door?
You may believe it’s necessary to install landscape lights or floodlights around the sides of your house.
If you don’t already have a separate porch light at your back door, you plan to install one.
Once your house is surrounded by light, are you any safer?
Evidence suggests that outdoor lighting may or may not be a deterrent for criminals. But how is it possible that it could be both ways?
Well, some studies have suggested that outdoor lights increase criminal activity by giving the bad guys a better view of your home.
Still other studies claim areas with better outdoor lighting see significantly lower crime rates than areas without good lighting.
So who do you believe?
Ultimately, it comes down to your personal preference.
If you feel safer with the outdoor lights on, then by all means, turn them on. If you feel safer without them, leave the porch light off.
The majority of studies could not conclude whether outdoor lighting positively or negatively impacted burglary and other criminal activities.
Lighting And Crime Statistics
So what, exactly, do the numbers say? In this section, we’ll look at some of the studies that have been done and the statistics that have been gathered relative to burglary and outdoor lighting.
The most promising study was done in 2017 and 2018.
It was a randomized controlled trial which involved almost 80 housing developments with higher-than-average crime rates in New York City.
Half the developments were given new street lights; the other half were used as the control group.
The study found that, after six months, the developments that received the lighting had a 39% decrease in crime over the control group.
It’s worth noting, however, that the lighting in question was public streetlights – not private property lighting – and the study refers to all crime, not just burglary.
On the other hand, a late 1990s project in Chicago seemed to turn up different results.
The project’s purpose was to improve lighting in alleyways “as a tool for public safety and fighting crime,” but a report published in 2000 suggested the added lighting had the opposite effect.
According to the report, crime increased by 21% after the new lights were installed.
Drawing conclusions from this report, one would think that outdoor lighting actually encourages crime.
Keep in mind, however, that streetlights were once again the focus of the report, and the numbers refer to crime in general and not burglary in particular.
Other reports and studies have been done, such as those outlined in this review by CALMAC, but most have turned up inconclusive evidence one way or the other.
No legitimate studies have been done that specifically focus on a link between porch lights and a reduction in burglary.
Security Lighting Disadvantages
Security lighting may refer to any personal light systems around the outside of your house–porch lights, floodlights, etc.
As I already established, outdoor lights may not be as beneficial at deterring burglars as most people think.
But are there any major disadvantages or reasons not to use security lighting?
Security Lighting May Give Criminals A Better View of Your House
There is one disturbing statement in a report by the National Institute of Justice.
The report says, “We can have very little confidence that improved lighting prevents crime, particularly since we do not know if offenders use lighting to their advantage.”
This statement, made in 1997, seems supported by the report summarizing the Chicago project.
Having too much light around your house may make it easier for burglars to spot potential weaknesses and ways into your house that they might not have noticed in the dark.
Security Lighting Is Expensive
Keeping multiple porch lights and other security lights on all night will significantly raise your electricity bill.
Many landscape lights and floodlights are solar-powered, but it can be expensive to buy enough to place around your house, and since they are low to the ground, they will not provide much light.
If you can afford the extra cost of security lighting, and it makes you feel safer, then there’s nothing wrong with keeping the lights on all night.
But if you’re worried about the cost, remember that there’s little evidence to support the idea that security lighting will actually keep you safer.
Do I Need Floodlights?
Floodlights are exceptionally bright, usually solar- or battery-powered, and can be adjusted to illuminate a small area or an entire yard.
They are often designed to come on automatically at dusk and turn off at dawn.
So do you need them?
The short answer is no; you don’t need any sort of outdoor lighting if you don’t want it. Again, it goes back to what makes you feel safest.
If you want to install a floodlight or two around your house, that’s fine. If not, that’s fine too.
If you do install them, though, keep in mind that they are extremely bright.
If you have one right outside your bedroom window, it may keep you awake all night unless you have thick light-retardant curtains.
Even if the floodlights don’t keep you awake, they may irritate your neighbors.
Should You Sleep With The Porch Light On?
Again, this is a matter of personal preference. A porch light will keep your front door and possibly any front-facing windows illuminated, but that may or may not send burglars looking for another target.
Even then, keeping the front of the house illuminated will do nothing to protect the sides and back of the house.
It may keep burglars from trying to get in the front door, while at the same time providing enough light for them to inspect around the sides of the house.
That said, it’s hard to say for sure.
If you want to keep a porch light on, it might be a good idea to install a motion light so it will stay off unless someone is snooping around.
But even motion lights have their failings; a stray cat walking by could trip the sensor as easily as a burglar could.
Ultimately, you have to decide what kind of outdoor lighting works best for your house and what makes you feel most comfortable.
Final Thoughts
Having outdoor lights around the outside of your house may make you feel safe, but it won’t necessarily keep burglars away.
The evidence of how outdoor lights impact crime is mixed at best.
So, when it comes to keeping your porch light on or installing extra lighting, it’s entirely up to you. Do whatever makes you feel most comfortable.
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