The research is also focusing on whether locational and physical characteristics of a property make it susceptible to burglary, whether statutory user fees are effective in reducing false alarms, whether burglar alarms provide a net benefit to the community, and whether user fees reduce the use of alarms and thus cause increased exposure to burglaries. The research may provide useful information for such policy questions as whether and how burglar alarms should affect police deployment, whether installers of alarms should be licensed under State legislation, the desirable level of user fees, whether the police should encourage the installation of alarms, and whether direct system dialing to the police departments should be eliminated. Summary of previous research on the costs of false alarms, the use of alarms, and burglars' perceptions.