FOCUSING ON BURGLARIES
Burglaries are the most common of all serious crimes tracked by the FBI. Larcenies, which are thefts of all kinds, are more numerous, but more than half were just petty larcenies resulting in minor losses. Burglaries of residences resulted in substantial losses, averaging over $2,100 in 2013, according to the UCR (FBI, 2014a). Residential burglaries are particularly upsetting because the intruder violates one’s private and personal space, and fears about the threat of a surprise return visit can linger for a long time.
Single-family homes are more attractive to bur- glars than apartments, condominiums, and other multifamily residences because private houses have more access points and are more difficult to secure, and often contain greater rewards. However, pri- vate homeowners can take their own initiatives to protect their possessions and usually have both the incentive and the resources to do so. Intrusions are much more likely to occur during the day and on weekdays when the premises are unoccupied than on weekends and at night. Besides preferring to strike when no one is at home, it appears that bur- glars select targets that are familiar to them and convenient (often close to their own homes), acces- sible, easy to watch, and vulnerable (lacking security devices). Specifically, the most likely targets are located near potential offenders (in high-crime urban neighborhoods or in the vicinity of transit hubs, shopping centers, sports arenas, and places where young men and drug abusers congregate), either near busy thoroughfares or on the quiet outskirts of neighborhoods. Houses vacant for extended periods, homes without barking dogs, and those on corners or bordering on alleys or in secluded locations shrouded by shrubbery, walls, or fences attract prowlers. Ironically, mansions with expensive cars parked outside actually dampen interest because they are more likely to remain occupied or to be protected by sophisticated
security systems. Houses that were struck once are more likely to be struck again because the features that determine their attractiveness are difficult to change, because the burglar returns to remove addi- tional goods left behind during the first invasion, or because the burglar has told others about the vul- nerability of this target. Simple tools like screwdri- vers and crowbars typically are used to pry open locks, windows, and doors (Weisel, 2002).