Access Control, Crime Trends and the Future: What Can We Expect Beyond 2024?

A key inserted into a keyway of a door in a resedential building

As an environmental crime control theory, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is purported by researchers to be an effective means of deterring criminals and reducing incidences of crime, primarily naturally. Key principles of CPTED include territoriality, surveillance, access control, and maintenance.

Increasingly though, CPTED sees the confluence of traditional and technological methods of crime prevention such as erecting fences around a property to create a natural barrier, utilising traditional locks and keys, and making use of biometric scanners or card readers. 

Unlike traditional methods, modern access control solutions leverage cutting-edge technologies like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), and Wi-Fi to accurately identify individuals and objects.

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While statistics prove that there has been a decline in key criminal offences across England and Wales by mid-2024, advanced access control methods can be used to further bolster safety and secure workers, homes and businesses. 

According to the Office for National Statistics Centre for Crime and Justice, burglary rates in England and Wales saw a slight decline up until June 2024, as reported in its October 2024 report. 

“Police recorded burglary decreased by 3% in the year to June 2024 (264,963 offences) compared with the previous year,” the report states. 

June 2024 saw burglary incidents plummet by 70% compared to March 2003, when 890,099 cases were recorded. 

Between 2023 and mid-2024, criminal damage offences recorded by police decreased by 7%, falling from 496,527 to 463,687. This points to an improvement in some criminal offences across England and Wales, year-on-year and over the past two decades. 

The access control market in the United Kingdom is expected to increase within the next five years. Mordor Intelligence believes that by 2029, the access control market in the UK will reach USD 0.62 billion, up from an estimated USD 0.44 billion in 2024. This trend is globally applicable. There are key reasons for this projected expansion. 

“The increasing availability of biometric equipment drives this growth, particularly fingerprint recognition, which is cost-effective and widely used. The market is also benefiting from the growing interconnectedness of devices and rising security risks,” the organisation states.

As technology improves, AI-integration with biometric readers will also become increasingly significant, the organisation further suggests.

With the advancement of door entry and access control solutions, safety and security in the UK can reach greater heights. 

Enhanced door entry and access control measures can ensure that ingress and egress can be streamlined, workers can feel safer, and residents can enjoy greater security in their homes—where their hearts and loved ones are.

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References

Mordor Intelligence. 2023. Access Control Market Report | Industry Analysis, Size & Growth Outlook [Report].  Available at: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/global-access-control-market-industry [Accessed 27 November 2024]

Norman, T.L. 2017. Chapter 2 - Foundational Security and Access Control Concepts. [online] ScienceDirect. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128054659000026 [Accessed 27 November 2024]

Office for National Statistics (ONS). 2024. Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2024. [online]. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2024#:~:text=Offences%20increased%20by%21%25%20in,June%202023%20(67%2C903%20offences [Accessed 18 November 2024]