4 Tips for Better Security Signage

 

Fighting Crime with High-Quality Signage

Fighting Crime with High-Quality Signage

Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman might be more well-known crime-fighters, but did you know that simple security signage can do wonders as a theft deterrent?

Today’s post reviews some scientific research on the efficacy of anti-theft signs, and shares 4 valuable design tips for high-performance signage.

What does science have to say about the crime-fighting power of signage?

Previous research found that displaying images of “watching eyes” 👁 👁 made people behave in more socially desirable ways, but signs’ specific crime-fighting potential was not yet known.

The study

In 2012, the Public Library of Science conducted a study measuring the impacts that simple anti-theft signage had on bicycle thieves (Nettle et al., 2012).

Researchers built and installed signs displaying simple anti-theft messages like “Cycle thieves – We are watching you!” and “Crime-stopper community.”

They were placed in high-crime areas on a local university campus and monitored for 12 months. “Control areas” without any signage were also monitored as a point of contrast.

The results

After three months, bicycle thefts had decreased by 62% in the experimental locations, but increased in areas without signs by 65% (Nettle et al., 2012). This supports the efficacy of anti-theft signage, and also sheds light on their “displacing” effect; in other words, the signs aren’t stopping criminals from committing crime, but rather just convincing them to commit them somewhere else.

These findings underscore the need for security signage in your home or business. Clearly, anti-theft signage works, which is great news for those seeking cost-effective solutions, as signs are cheaper than closed-circuit cameras and require no actual surveillance staff. Moreover, in crime-stopping communities, any home or business lacking security signage will become a target for criminals who were deterred by a sign elsewhere.

4 Tips for Better Security Signage

🔴 Adding an anti-crime message is important. Though simple imagery of watching eyes was shown to be effective for encouraging pro-social behavior, anti-theft research has suggested that signage with wording that acknowledges that crime occurs in the area is a much more powerful deterrent.

🔴 Aggressive, eye-catching colors are key. Don’t try to deter criminals in a calming blue or earthy green font. In their study, Nettle et al. (2012) used signs with “WE ARE WATCHING YOU” written in bolded red lettering. Intense, eye-catching colors like these are much more effective for getting a stern warning across.

🔴 Indicate to the reader that you’re part of something bigger. One home or business owner posting signs isn’t particularly intimidating for a criminal. But including the name and information of a Crime-Stoppers Community or even the local police force sends the reader a message saying they’re up against a whole army of do-gooders. In their study, Nettle et al. (2012) used the name “Operation Crackdown” on all their signs, and included the logo of the local police force.

🔴Visibility is essential. Installing your anti-crime sign in the right place is critical. It needs to be highly visible. In the study, Nettle et al. (2012) mounted theirs directly about the bike racks that were being victimized. The signs were at or above head height, and manufactured at a size that couldn’t be ignored.

🇫🇷 ALERTE AUX VOLEURS : LE RÉSIDENT DE LA PROPRIÉTÉ N'EST PAS RESPONSABLE DE VOTRE DÉCÈS OU DE BLESSURES LORS DE L'INTRACTION DANS CE COMPOSÉ. VOUS ENTREZ ICI À VOS PROPRES RISQUES. NOUS ATTENDONS .

🇬🇧 THIEVES ALERT : THE PROPERTY RESIDENT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DEATH OR INJURIES UPON TRESPASSING THIS COMPOUND. YOU ARE ENTERING HERE ON YOUR OWN RISK. WE ARE WAITING .

🇨🇳 盗贼警告：物业居民对您因侵入该建筑而造成的死亡或受伤不承担任何责任。 您进入此处需自行承担风险。 我们正在等待。

🇪🇸 ALERTA DE LADRONES: EL RESIDENTE DE LA PROPIEDAD NO ES RESPONSABLE DE SU MUERTE O LESIONES AL ENTRAR EN ESTE COMPLEJO. USTED ENTRA AQUÍ BAJO SU PROPIO RIESGO. ESTAMOS ESPERANDO .

🇬🇧 HEY THIEF ! DID YOU TAKE A GREY BIKE FROM THE RAILINGS OF ST. NICHOLAS' CATHEDRAL ON THE NIGHT OF THE 25th?

FUCK YOU

I AM GOING TO KILL YOU. I WILL SPEND THE REST OF MY DAYS TRACKING YOU  DOWN. I WILL FIND YOU. YOU WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN. GOD WILL NOT SAVE YOU. I AM COMING FOR YOU.

-MIKE OWNER

🇫🇷 HÉ VOLEUR !  AVEZ-VOUS PRIS UN VÉLO GRIS SUR LES GRILLES DE ST.  LA CATHÉDRALE NICHOLAS DANS LA NUIT DU 25 ?

 TE BAISE

 JE VAIS TE TUER.  Je vais passer le reste de mes journées à te retrouver.  JE TE TROUVERAI.  VOUS NE DORMIREZ PLUS JAMAIS.  DIEU NE VOUS SAUVERA PAS.  JE VIENS POUR TOI.

 -PROPRIÉTAIRE DE MIKE

🇨🇳 嘿小偷！ 你从圣路易斯的栏杆上拿了一辆灰色自行车吗？ 25日晚上的圣尼古拉斯大教堂？Hēi xiǎotōu! Nǐ cóng shènglùyìsī de lángān shàng nále yī liàng huīsè zìxíngchē ma? 25 Rì wǎnshàng de shèng nígǔlāsī dà jiàotáng?

 去你的 Qù nǐ de

 我要杀了你。Wǒ yào shāle nǐ. 我会用余下的时间来追踪你。Wǒ huì yòng yúxià de shíjiān lái zhuīzōng nǐ. 我会找到你的。Wǒ huì zhǎodào nǐ de.  你将永远无法再入睡。Nǐ jiāng yǒngyuǎn wúfǎ zài rùshuì. 上帝不会拯救你。Shàngdì bù huì zhěngjiù nǐ. 我来找你了。Wǒ lái zhǎo nǐle.

 -迈克·奥沃纳 -Màikè·ào wò nà

🇪🇸 ¡Oye ladrón! ¿TOMASTE UNA BICICLETA GRIS DE LAS BARANDILLAS DE ST. ¿LA CATEDRAL DE NICOLÁS LA NOCHE DEL 25?

  JÓDETE !

 VOY A MATARTE. PASARÉ EL RESTO DE MIS DÍAS SIGUIENDOTE. TE ENCONTRARÉ. NUNCA VOLVERÁS A DORMIR. DIOS NO TE SALVARÁ. VENGO POR TI.

 -MIKE DUEÑO

🇮🇹 EHI LADRO! HAI PRESO UNA BICI GRIGIA DALLA RINGHIERA DI ST. CATTEDRALE DI NICOLA LA NOTTE DEL 25?

 VAFFANCULO

 TI UCCIDERÒ. TRASCORRÒ IL RESTO DEI MIEI GIORNI A CERCARTI. TI TROVERÒ. NON DORMIRETE MAI PIÙ. DIO NON TI SALVERÀ. STO VENENDO PER TE.

 -PROPRIETARIO MIKE

🇬🇧 Dear  Thieves,

 While I appreciate your initiative and hard work, I'd like to suggest you not break our window. There is an H&R Block across the street, and I am certain their computers are much newer and nicer than ours. I live in the neighborhood and would appreciate you not stealing from a local non-profit that provides services to soldiers and veterans. Also, I will shoot you in the fucking face.

 Thanks!

 The Management

 🇫🇷 Chers voleurs,

  Même si j'apprécie votre initiative et votre travail acharné, j'aimerais vous suggérer de ne pas casser notre fenêtre. Il y a un H&R Block de l'autre côté de la rue et je suis certain que leurs ordinateurs sont beaucoup plus récents et plus beaux que les nôtres. J'habite dans le quartier et j'apprécierais que vous ne voliez pas une organisation locale à but non lucratif qui fournit des services aux soldats et aux anciens combattants. Et je vais te tirer une balle dans la gueule.

  Merci!

  La gestion

🇨🇳 亲爱的盗贼们，Qīn'ài de dàozéimen,

  虽然我很欣赏你的主动性和辛勤工作，suīrán wǒ hěn xīnshǎng nǐ de zhǔdòng xìng hé xīnqín gōngzuò,

但我还是建议你不要打破我们的窗户。 dàn wǒ háishì jiànyì nǐ bùyào dǎpò wǒmen de chuānghù.

街对面有一个 H&R Block，Jiē duìmiàn yǒu yīgè H&R Block, 

我确信他们的电脑比我们的更新、wǒ quèxìn tāmen de diànnǎo bǐ wǒmen de gēngxīn, 

更好。 gèng hǎo.

我住在附近，Wǒ zhù zài fùjìn,

希望您不要从当地为士兵和退伍军人提供服务的非营利组织那里偷窃。 xī wàng nín bù yào cóng dāng dì wèi shì bīng hé tuì wǔ jūn rén tí gōng fú wù de fēi yíng lì zǔ zhī nà lǐ tōu qiè. 

还有，Hái yǒu, 

我他妈的会朝你的脸开枪。🔫 wǒ tā mā de huì cháo nǐ de liǎn kāi qiāng.

  谢谢！Xièxiè

  管理 Guǎnlǐ

 🇬🇧 MISSING BICYCLE !

(DRAWN FROM MEMORY. MAY NOT BE TO SCALE)

20 INCHES  WHEELS BICYCLE 🚲 

MY BIKE WAS STOLEN FROM MY FRONT LAWN LAST WEEK. IT IS A ONE-SPEED BIKE WITH SKULL FLAG AND A LIGHTNING BOLT ON IT. THE LIGHTNING BOLT AND FLAG MAY HAVE BEEN REMOVED. THIS BIKE WAS BRAND NEW FROM THE STORE. 

NO MONEY REWARD , IF RETURN.

I DON'T EVEN WANT THIS BIKE BACK.

I JUST MADE THESE FLYERS TO TELL YOU THAT I HATE YOU, BIKE THIEF. I HOPE YOU RIDE MY BIKE WITHOUT A HELMET AND GET HIT BY A MONSTER TRUCK. I HOPE MY BIKE TAKES YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL !

🇫🇷 VÉLO MANQUANT !

 (TIRÉ DE LA MÉMOIRE. PEUT NE PAS ÊTRE À L'ÉCHELLE)

 VÉLO À ROUES 20 POUCES 🚲

 MON VÉLO A ÉTÉ VOLÉ SUR MA PELOUSE LA SEMAINE DERNIÈRE.  C'EST UN VÉLO À UNE VITESSE AVEC UN DRAPEAU DE CRÂNE ET UN ÉCLAIR dessus.  L'ÉCLAIR ET LE DRAPEAU PEUT AVOIR ÉTÉ ENLEVÉS.  CE VÉLO ÉTAIT TOUT NEUF DU MAGASIN.

 AUCUNE RÉCOMPENSE EN ARGENT, EN CAS DE RETOUR.

 Je ne veux même pas récupérer ce vélo.

 Je viens de faire ces flyers pour te dire que je te déteste, voleur de vélo.  J'espère que vous monterez sur mon vélo sans casque et que vous vous ferez renverser par un camion monstre.  J'espère que mon vélo vous emmène directement en enfer !

🇨🇳 自行车不见了！Zìxíngchē bùjiànle!

 （根据记忆绘制。可能不按比例） 

(Gēnjù jìyì huìzhì. Kěnéng bù àn bǐlì)

 20寸轮自行车🚲 20 cùn lún zìxíngchē 🚲

 上周我的自行车从我家前草坪被偷了。Shàng zhōu wǒ de zì xíng chē cóng wǒ jiā qián cǎo píng bèi tōu le.

 这是一辆带有骷髅旗和闪电的单速自行车。 Zhè shì yī liàng dài yǒu kū lóu qí hé shǎn diàn de dān sù zì xíng chē.

闪电和旗帜可能已被移除。 Shǎn diàn hé qí zhì kě néng yǐ bèi yí chú. 

这辆自行车是商店里全新的。Zhè liàng zì xíng chē shì shāng diàn lǐ quán xīn de.

 如果返回，Rú guǒ fǎn huí,

则没有金钱奖励。zé méi yǒu jīn qián jiǎng lì.

 我什至不想要回这辆自行车。Wǒ shén zhì bù xiǎng yào huí zhè liàng zì xíng chē.

 我制作这些传单只是为了告诉你我恨你，自行车贼。 Wǒ zhìzuò zhèxiē chuándān zhǐshì wèile gàosù nǐ wǒ hèn nǐ, zìxíngchē zéi.

我希望你不戴头盔骑我的自行车，Wǒ xīwàng nǐ bù dài tóukuī qí wǒ de zìxíngchē,

然后被巨型卡车撞到。 rán hòu bèi jù xíng kǎ chē zhuàng dào. 

我希望我的自行车能带你直达地狱！

Wǒ xī wàng wǒ de zìxíngchē néng dài nǐ zhídá dìyù !

🇬🇧 YOU ARE BEING VIDEOTAPED , THIEF,  SMILE !  😊  “ WATCHING EYES ” 👁 👁

🇫🇷 VOUS ÊTES VIDÉOTÉ, VOLEUR, SOURIEZ ! 😊 « regarder les yeux » 👁 👁

🇨🇳 你正在被录像，小偷，笑一笑！  😊

Nǐ zhèngzài bèi lùxiàng, xiǎotōu, xiào yīxiào! 😊 “注视的眼睛”👁👁 “Zhùshì de yǎnjīng”👁👁

 “ ALL SEEING EYE WATCHING  YOU” 👁 👁

1 All along on the road to the souls true abode,

There’s an eye watching you;

Ev’ry step that you take this great eye is awake,

There’s an eye watching you.

Refrain:

Watching you, watching you,

Ev’ry day mind the course you pursue,

Watching you, watching you,

There’s an all seeing Eye watching you.

2 As you make life’s great fight, keep the pathway of right,

There’s an eye watching you;

God will warn not to go in the path of the foe,

There’s an eye watching you. [Refrain]

3 Fix your mind on the goal, that sweet home of the soul,

There’s an eye watching you;

Never turn from the way to the kingdom of day,

There’s an eye watching you. [Refrain]

Source: Soul Inspiring Songs #125