Cameras and home security systems — now more accessible and affordable than ever — are effective at deterring would-be burglars and home invaders, according to Joe Kuhns, a professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, who has researched the topic.

Kuhns, who surveyed hundreds of convicted burglars as part of the study, said if people saw that a home or business had cameras, or even just signage that there were alarms, they “tended to move on.”

“There were occasional burglars that would try to circumvent the alarm and cut the wires and cover cameras and things like that, but those were the exceptions, not the rule,” he told CNN.

Authorities released video footage from a Nest camera near the front door of Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home, showing a person in a ski mask trying to tamper with the camera. While officials have not indicated that the situation with Guthrie was a burglary gone wrong, the images put some on edge about security around their own homes.

In addition to the use of cameras, Kuhns said making your home appear occupied is a key way to deter criminals.

Most home burglaries happen during the day when people are at work, he said. Homeowners should keep lights or the TV on or play music, Kuhns said. If people go out of town, they should have neighbors collect packages or mail, he added.

Burglaries are also most often crimes of opportunity, according to the professor. Simple things like making sure you lock your doors, windows and closing your garage can all be deterrents.

“They’re walking around looking for an easy score and so you want to have them look somewhere else or make it not easy for them, and hopefully discourage altogether,” Kuhns said.

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