Anti-Theft Devices

An anti-theft system is any device or method used to prevent or deter the unauthorized appropriation of items considered valuable. Theft is one of the most common and oldest criminal behaviours. more...

Where the ownership of a physical possession can be altered without the rightful owner's consent, theft prevention has been introduced to assert the ownership whenever the rightful owner is physically present. Anti-theft systems have been around since individuals began stealing other people's property and have evolved accordingly to thwart increasingly complex methods of theft. From the invention of the first lock and key to the introduction of RFID tags and biometric identification, anti-theft systems have evolved to match the introduction of new inventions to society and the resulting theft of them by others.

Theft: Motive and Opportunity

Under normal circumstances, theft is prevented simply through the application and social acceptance of property law. Ownership is often indicated by means of visual marking (license plates, name tags). When clear owner identification is not possible and when there is a lack of social observance, people may be inclined to take possession of items to their own benefit at the expense of the original owner. Motive and opportunity are two enabling factors for theft. Given that motives for theft are varied and complex and are generally speaking not within the control of the victim, most methods of theft prevention rely on reducing opportunities for theft.

Motives for actively preventing theft

Items may require an anti-theft system for a variety of reasons, which may occur in combination depending on the type of item and its use:

• the item is expensive and/or has sentimental value (prestige car, family heirloom, birthday gift, war medals, coin collection)
• the item is difficult/impossible to replace if lost (produced in low numbers, antiques, unique works of art)
• the item is easy to steal (retail/supermarket products, office stationery)
• the item may be left unattended in an unsafe environment (laptops in a library, cars in a carpark)
• inappropriate use of the item may cause considerable damage or may enable further unauthorized acts (theft of car keys, stolen building access keys, identity theft)
• the item is desirable to others (jewelry, mobile phones, rare collectibles, auto parts, industrial designs)

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