Residential Burglary

Burglary is defined as unlawful or forcible entry or attempted entry of a residence. This crime usually, but not always, involves theft. The illegal entry may be by force, such as breaking a window or slashing a screen, or may be without force by entering through an unlocked door or an open window. As long as the person entering has no legal right to be present in the structure a burglary has occurred. Furthermore, the structure need not be the house itself for a burglary to take place; illegal entry of a garage, shed, or any other structure on the premises also constitutes household burglary. (Bureau of Justice Statistics)



Approximately sixty-six (66) percent of burglaries are residential. In residential burglaries most criminals (34%) gain access to your home through the front door, a first-floor window (23%), or through the back door (22%). Garages serve as the entry point for nine percent (9%) of burglars, unlocked entrances and storages six percent (6%), and basement windows four percent (4%). Only two percent (2%) of burglars climb to the second floor to make entry.

According to research published by Mastering the Lock, thirty-two percent (32%) of burglars would first attempt to make entry through an unlocked door, twenty-six percent (26%) would try to gain a forced entry (by breaking the door, locks, window, etc.), and twenty-four percent (24%) would try jimmying or prying.  Only six percent (6%) of burglars would attempt picking the locks to gain an entry in homes.

What these statistics show us is that that while about a third of burglars will first attempt to find an unlocked door, only about six percent (6%) actually gain access this way. In most cases burglars are breaking, jimmying, and prying their way through front and back doors, and ground-floor windows. However, they won’t spend a long time trying to force their way into your home. According to A Guide to Home and Vehicle Security - The City of Portland, Oregon: “Many burglars will spend no longer than 60 seconds trying to break into a home.”

While we often think of burglars as breaking into homes at night, the fact is that most burglaries happen during the day between 10AM and 3PM. It is during these time that most homes are unoccupied with people away at work, school, or out doing other errands during the day.

• Most burglaries are committed by males under the age of 25.
   
• About fifty percent (50%) of burglars live within two-miles of homes they burglarize.
   
• They tend to be looking for small, expensive, items that can be easily converted into cash.
   
• Burglars use tools such as hammers, crowbars, or large screw-drives to break into your home.
   
• Once they have gained access to your home, burglars act quickly spending only between 8 - 12 minutes inside.
   
• While most burglars are amateur criminals, they are usually involved in other criminal offenses, such as assault, robbery, and drug-dealing.

  

KGW News (Portland) published a story: “We asked 86 burglars how they broke into homes.” (Oct. 31, 2016). Some of the things they found were: 

 

• Burglars would kick in the door rather than break glass. "Loud bangs are better than loud glass breaking, plus you run the risk of getting cut, said one inmate."
• Burglars had mixed opinions about home security signs. Some burglars said it didn’t faze them. Others said they knew how to disable alarms or avoid setting them off. Most intruders said they would leave immediately if a security alarm went off.
• Generally, burglars agreed security cameras were a deterrent. But some said it also likely signaled there were valuables inside the home.
• If a homeowner had a big, loud dog most burglars would stay away.  Smaller dogs don’t seem to bother them. "Dogs are a deal breaker for me," said one inmate. "Big breeds, home protectors are the best to keep people out."
• Most burglars feared someone might be home if they heard a radio or TV. They wouldn’t break in.

 

Your doors should all have good high-security dead-bolt locks installed. And as we have seen, it is also important that  your doors be reinforced to prevent them from being easily kicked in. The Victoria, TX Police Department has an excellent video "Home Security Tips: How a 50 cent investment can dramatically strengthen your doors" that shows a simple method of improving the strength of your doors. I also recommend that you include reinforcement on your doors with a product like Door Armor MAX which will defeat many forced entry attacks. You may also want to consider Window Security Film to keep glass from being smashed out by burglars (especially glass that is in your exterior doors).
  

You can of course leave your TV on while you are away giving the impression that someone is home, but you can also use a FakeTV FTV-11-US Extra Bright Burglar Deterrent. You may also want to use timers to turn lights, a radio, or other devices on and off throughout the day. 

 

Since most burglars will leave immediately if a security alarm goes off, it is probably worth investing in one. There are companies that provided professionally installed and monitored alarm systems, and if you can afford them, this is a good option. But something like the Fortress Security Store S02-A Wireless Home and Business Security Alarm System may be an option if you choose not to have a centrally monitored system.

Burglars generally consider security cameras a deterrent. Installing a good quality security camera can let you keep an eye on your home, even when you are away.  If you choose not to install a real security camera system, a couple of fake security cameras mounted outside of your home may serve as a deterrent to some criminals.

Taking just a few steps to add security to your home can make a big difference in keeping you safe from burglary. Each step should be calculated to DETER a burglar from attempting to access your home (make it look occupied and/or guarded by a big dog), DETECT a burglar who attempts to gain access to your home (use alarms, cameras, and security lighting), and DENY a burglar access by using strong security (door armor, window security film, and high security locks).