Purchasing security products for the home
As National Home Security Month 2023 draws to a close, we look at the subject of security products for your home, and knowing whether they are fit for purpose.
When looking to procure products for use in and around the home it is essential to be aware of which products have achieved an appropriate security standard. Knowing that a product is fit for purpose is crucial.
Police CPI’s Secured by Design (SBD) initiative operates an accreditation scheme on behalf of the UK Police Service for products or services that have met recognised security standards. These products or services – which must be capable of deterring or preventing crime - are known as being of a ‘Police Preferred Specification’.
This accreditation scheme has been operating for nearly 25 years and provides a recognised standard for all security products that are sufficiently robust to resist physical attack by casual and opportunistic burglars. It is the only way for companies to obtain police recognition for security-related products in the UK. The SBD focus is on the critical factors that combine to deliver a product’s performance - design, use, quality control and the ability to deter or prevent crime – and these products or services are known as being of a ‘Police Preferred Specification’.
Products that have met the Police Preferred Specification provide reassurance to the purchaser or user that the products have been independently tested to a relevant security standard and fully certified by an independent third-party certification body recognised by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), or tested and certified by an alternative approved body such as Sold Secure or Thatcham.
Better quality means these products last longer too, making them more cost effective and leading to greater sustainability in crime prevention.
There are many hundreds of companies who produce thousands of attack resistant crime prevention products which have achieved Police Preferred Specification, with academic research showing repeatedly over the last 25 years that these accredited, quality products have reduced burglary where they have been installed. The range of products also extends to things such as external containers, designed for the secure storage of mopeds, scooters, motorcycles or bicycles and other property that may otherwise be left in an insecure shed or outbuilding.
You should therefore look for the Secured by Design logo on products or ask your supplier if they are Secured by Design. The Secured by Design website www.securedbydesign.com lists all products that have achieved the rigorous Police Preferred Specification standard.
The Secured by Design website also has a page which explains the different security standards for all manner of products https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/standards-explained
Secured by Design - Crime Prevention and Security Advice Hub
The Secured by Design Crime Prevention & Security Advice hub has practical crime prevention advice to help people stay safe, alongside details of products that have been tested and certified to meet the exacting standards you would expect from the police. Each webpage also has situation specific downloadable prevention advice PDFs.
