Fear of crime and home security systems

Abstract

Survey data of 1549 households in the Mexico City metropolitan area were analyzed to examine the relationship between fear of crime and home security systems. Ordinal regression analysis shows home security systems unrelated to fear of crime when home alone. Additionally, findings are that fear of crime is mostly felt by female, young, low-income individuals, and by those who do not trust their local police. Fear of crime is also felt by individuals living in neighborhoods perceived to be unsafe. Implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions for police work and future research are also included.

Keywords:

• fear of crime
• security systems
• victimization
• ordinal regression
• Mexico

Acknowledgements

I want to thank and congratulate Professor Ahmed El-Geneidy and his team of very competent graduate students at McGill University for their great assistance and friendly atmosphere during my visit in June 2008. I would also like to thank the journal referees for their very valuable comments.

Notes

aRead as a correlation.

aWhere 1 = very secure and 4 = not secure.

bSignificance in parentheses.

aWhere 1 = very secure and 4 = not secure.

bSignificance in parentheses.

cStatistically significant.

aSignificance in parentheses.

1. This study can be replicated from a comparative perspective. Survey data are available at: http://www.biiacs.cide.edu/