Mayor: Residential burglar alarm systems prevent burglary, but only
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Updated on: 09 Mar 2024, 05:09
Mayor: Residential burglar alarm systems prevent burglary, but only in residences equipped with them. As long as there are people intent on burglary, equipping residences with these systems will simply lead burglars to target residences not so equipped. Therefore, a proposed plan to encourage the installation of burglar alarm systems in more local residences will not help to reduce residential burglaries here.
The mayor concludes the following:
a proposed plan to encourage the installation of burglar alarm systems in more local residences will not help to reduce residential burglaries here
The support for the conclusion is the following:
Residential burglar alarm systems prevent burglary, but only in residences equipped with them. As long as there are people intent on burglary, equipping residences with these systems will simply lead burglars to target residences not so equipped.
We see that the mayor has reasoned that, since burglars will just keep burglarizing homes that don't have alarm systems, encouraging installation of alarm systems won't help reduce the number of burglaries in the area.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument that the mayor raises against the proposed plan?
The correct answer will provide some new information that indicates that the mayor's conclusion may not follow from the evidence.
A. Most burglars can quickly and easily determine whether a home that they are thinking of burglarizing is protected by an alarm system.
This choice is in line with what the mayor says. After all, the mayor's point is that burglars will not burglarize homes with alarm systems and will burglarize homes without alarm systems, and this choice confirms that burglars can quickly and easily determine which homes to burglarize.
So, this choice doesn't weaken the argument.
Eliminate.
B. The vast majority of residential burglaries occur when the residents of the burglarized dwelling are not at home.
This choice has no effect on the argument.
After all, regardless of when burglaries occur, if there are some homes that burglars can burglarize without worrying about alarm systems, then it makes sense that installing alarm systems won't serve to reduce the number of burglaries.
Eliminate.
C. Equipping more homes with burglar alarm systems would allow police to give more attention to residences that are not protected by these systems.
This choice weakens the argument by bringing in an additional factor that the mayor didn't consider.
After all, if equipping more homes with alarm systems would allow police to give more attention to residences that are not protected by these systems, then there's reason to believe that installing more systems will serve to reduce the number of burglaries. After all, if burglars avoid homes with alarm systems and police are able to give more attention to homes without alarm systems, then burglars may reduce their activity in the area because all the homes are protected in one way or another.
So, if this choice is true, then even though burglars may target residences without alarms, they will be deterred by or caught because of the increased police attention on the other homes with the result that the number of burglaries may decrease because of people being encouraged to install alarm systems.
Keep.
D. The cost of installing and maintaining burglar alarm systems is great enough that many local residents would refuse to equip their homes with them if asked to do so.
Rather than weaken the argument, this choice strengthens it.
After all, if this choice is true, then there will be many homes without alarms for burglars to target. In that case, it makes sense that the outcome will be what the mayor has concluded it will be.
Eliminate.
E. A burglar who is deterred from burglarizing a particular residence by the presence of an alarm system will usually attempt to burglarize another residence rather than a store or an office.
Rather than weaken the argument, this choice strengthens it.
After all, the mayor's conclusion is that encouraging people to install alarms won't help to reduce "residential" burglaries, in other words, burglaries of homes.
So, the fact that a burglar faced with an alarm system in one residence will just move on to another residence, rather than switch to a business, helps to confirm the conclusion.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: C
Originally posted by
MartyMurray on 09 Mar 2024, 05:03.
Last edited by
MartyMurray on 09 Mar 2024, 05:09, edited 1 time in total.