2N, the global market leader in internet-enabled intercoms and access control systems, has announced that all of its intercoms and access unit readers have become Secured by Design (SBD) accredited.
SBD is the flagship UK police initiative to help ‘design out’ crime through the use of high-quality, innovative products and processes. In order to achieve SBD status, 2N’s intercoms and access unit readers (the 2N® Access Unit 2.0 and the 2N® Access Unit M), had to adhere to rigorous test standards required by the police which assessed their resistance to forced entry. When installed along with the 2N Security Relay, all of these products now have the right to carry the SBD logo.
The announcement comes on the back of the Office for National Statistics publishing crime figures for England and Wales for the year up to June 2022. The data was encouraging when it came to burglary – rates were down 28% compared with the year leading up to the start of the pandemic – but warned against complacency, concluding that it was “too early to say whether these decreases represent a change in long-term trends”.
SBD standards have a tangible impact in terms of protecting against crime. In West Yorkshire, for example, research demonstrated that newly-built developments built to SBD standards were up to 75% less likely to be burgled. In Glasgow, a separate study concluded that refurbished developments employing SBD principles were up to 63% less likely to experience crime.
Michael Nicholson, 2N’s Business Development Manager for the UK & Ireland, said: “We are very proud that our intercoms and access unit readers are now SBD accredited. Our products are being incorporated into more and more big projects in the UK – Sópers House, just outside London, and Burlington House in central Manchester are recent examples – and SBD certification is being requested more and more often, both in commercial and residential buildings. It’s an objective guarantee that our products meet the highest security standards, and it will be a big advantage as we continue to grow our business in the UK.”
Lyn Poole, Development Officer at Police Crime Prevention Initiative Secured by Design, said: “Access control in residential or commercial buildings needs to be fit for purpose and the fact that 2N’s products have been independently tested and certified within doorsets to police-recognised standards will help their customers feel more confident about their safety within their building when these products are installed.”
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