Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP7817
Authors: Jan C. van Ours; Ben Vollaard
Abstract: As of 1999, all new-built homes in the Netherlands have to have burglary-proof windows and doors. We provide evidence that this large-scale government intervention in the use of self-protective measures lowers crime and improves social welfare. We find the regulatory change to have reduced burglary in new-built homes from 1.1 to 0.8 percent annually, a reduction of 26 percent. The findings suggest that burglars avoid old, less-protected homes that are located in the direct vicinity of the new, better-protected homes. The presence of a negative externality on older homes is ambiguous. We find no evidence for displacement to other property crimes including theft from cars and bicycle theft. Even though the regulation of built-in security does not target preventative measures at homes that are most at risk, the social benefits of the regulation are likely to exceed the social costs.
Keywords: Crime; Government Regulation; Victim Precaution
JEL Codes: H11; H23; K42
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| regulation mandating built-in security measures (K24) | influences burglar behavior (K42) |
| newly constructed homes (L74) | older, less protected homes avoided by offenders (R21) |
| regulation mandating built-in security measures (K24) | no evidence of crime displacement to other property crimes (K42) |
| regulation mandating built-in security measures (K24) | reduction in burglary rates (K42) |
| regulation mandating built-in security measures (K24) | decrease from 1.1% to 0.8% annually in burglary rates (K42) |