Do Security Cameras Deter Theft? A UC Berkeley Study

Bay Area research with a practical question

For a business owner, choosing security cameras starts with a question: will they help address the problems at my property? Research can inform that decision, provided its findings stay connected to the setting studied.

UC Berkeley’s December 2008 evaluation examined San Francisco’s Community Safety Camera program. The cameras were in San Francisco; Berkeley was the research institution. This was a public surveillance program, rather than a trial of individual businesses’ camera systems. Read the report’s key findings.

The finding: 24% less property crime near cameras

The researchers reported a statistically significant 24% decline in property crime within 100 feet of camera locations. The reduction was driven by larceny theft, a category that includes theft from buildings and vehicles.

The study found little evidence of an effect on burglary or motor vehicle theft, and no overall effect on violent crime. It does not establish reductions in loitering or lawsuits. See the property crime analysis.

What that means for a San Rafael business

This older study offers local evidence of theft deterrence in a specific setting. Its result is not a forecast or guarantee for a San Rafael business, and 100 feet is not a camera specification.

For your property, we recommend starting with the particular problem you want to address. Missing equipment, activity at an entrance, and an incident in a parking area call for different views. A useful camera plan should explain what each view is intended to show and how you will use the recording.

Turn the question into a camera coverage plan

When Clear reviews a commercial property, we work through practical questions with the owner or manager:

• Which locations matter? Identify entrances, loading areas, parking spaces, or other places connected to the incidents you want to understand.
• What detail do you need? Decide whether a view is for observing general activity or reviewing a person’s actions at a particular location.
• What happens after dark? Review lighting, camera position, and sample recordings under the conditions that matter to your business.
• Who reviews an event? Decide who should receive notifications, review recordings, and arrange an appropriate response.
• Can you retrieve the footage? Plan recording retention, authorized access, and a straightforward process for finding and exporting an incident.

We also recommend reviewing cameras alongside lighting, locks, access control, and staff procedures. Those are planning considerations for your site; the Berkeley study did not test Clear’s installations or any particular camera brand.

A local resource: San Rafael’s camera registry

San Rafael Police offers a voluntary surveillance camera registry for residents and business owners. Registration tells investigators that a camera exists nearby; it does not give police access to your system. If an incident occurs, investigators may contact you to request footage that could help identify a suspect or establish an escape route. Learn about San Rafael Police camera registration.

That makes a useful question for your own system: if you needed to share a relevant recording, would you know how to locate and export it?

Research source

Jennifer King, Deirdre K. Mulligan, and Steven Raphael. The San Francisco Community Safety Camera Program: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of San Francisco’s Community Safety Cameras. UC Berkeley / CITRIS, December 17, 2008. Download the full report.