Protect
Yourself Against Home Burglary
Although government crime statistics indicate a
general decline in burglaries in recent years, if
your home is burglarized, it can be very traumatic.
And while the chances of being a victim of burglary
may be small in any one year, your odds increase
over time that a burglary may occur to your home.
And if it does, statistics indicate the chances of
you getting your belongings back are small.
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U.S.
Department of Justice Statistics
indicates that stolen property was not
returned in 85 percent of household
crimes in 1992. ("The Costs of Crime to
Victims: Crime Data Brief;" February
1994, NCJ-14865; by Patsy A. Klaus, BJS
Statistician; US Department of Justice,
Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of
Justice Statistics)
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The
average loss for a residential burglary
in 1998 was $1,299 according to the FBI.
("Crime in the United States 1998;"
Federal Bureau of Investigation; US
Department of Justice; ISBN
0-16-0478756-0)
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Two out of
every three burglaries in 1998 were to
residences. ("Crime in the United States
1998," page 39; Federal Bureau of
Investigation; US Department of Justice;
ISBN 0-16-0478756-0)
-
According
to the FBI, there were more than 2.3
million burglary offenses nationwide in
1998. An estimated $3.1 billion in
losses were a result of burglaries in
1998. ("Crime in the United States
1998," page 39; Federal Bureau of
Investigation; US Department of Justice;
ISBN 0-16-0478756-0)
-
According
to the US Department of Justice's
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice
Statistics, 38.5 out of every 1,000
households were victims of burglary in
1998 in the United States. ("Sourcebook
of Criminal Justice Statistics 1998,"
page 173; US Department of Justice,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, based on
data gathered by the National Crime
Victimization Survey.
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What Can I Do?
There are a number of options for the average
homeowner to reduce the chances of burglary -- from
installing security alarms to just changing personal
habits. There are limitations to each of these and
the homeowner must understand what those are. Each
situation is different.
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The
homeowner must keep in mind that each
house design is different and requires a
different approach.
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The
homeowner must determine what kind of
threat they are trying to protect
against. For example, defending against
personal threats, such as assault,
requires different measures than
defending against burglary.
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Most
thieves intent on burglarizing a home
usually weigh the benefits (loot)
against the dangers (going to jail).
Most burglaries are opportunistic. If a
thief receives information that a house
has something worth stealing, it
increases the potential benefits. If,
when they look at the home, it appears
to have quick, easy access and/or lots
of cover so they are less likely to be
seen, it reduces the chances of being
caught.
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Most home burglars do not give
great amounts of thought into planning the job and
assessing the benefits vs. dangers. But
understanding how they select a target can go a long
way in reducing your chances of being a victim.
Fool Them
Burglars do not want to be seen. Therefore, they
prefer to enter a home while it is unoccupied. One
way to reduce your chances of being a burglary
victim is to make the home appear occupied when it
is not. Here are some things a family can do:
-
Use
automatic timers on lights when away
from home.
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Have your
telephone calls forwarded if possible
when away from home. Burglars will
sometimes check to see if someone is
home by making a telephone call to the
home.
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When at
home, always park your cars in the
garage with the garage door shut. If a
burglar notices a pattern that the
garage door is left open or the cars are
parked in the driveway whenever someone
is home, a closed garage door or no cars
in the driveway may be a giveaway that
no one is home. Consistently leaving the
cars in the garage behind closed doors
keeps from tipping off the burglar that
the home is unoccupied.
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Besides,
leaving the garage door open allows
strangers to see some of your
belongings.
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If away
for more than a day, have a trusted
neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper.
If possible, do not have either stopped.
That gives information about you being
away from home to others whom you do not
know.
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If away
for an extended period, have a plan in
place to have the grass mowed or snow
shoveled.
- Place radios
on automatic timers and turn up the
volume so they can be heard outside.
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If you are
away from home on garbage pickup day,
ask a trusted neighbor to put your
garbage cans out to the street and take
them back in. Also, have your neighbor
use your garbage cans while you are out.
Burglars sometimes check for empty cans
as a sign the family is away.
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There are
systems available that will open and
close window draperies by timer.
Constantly open or closed curtains can
tip the burglar off that no one is home.
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Keep These Simple Concepts in Mind
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As much as
possible, make your house look the same
whether you are away or at home.
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Many
people assume most burglaries occur at
night, but this is not actually the
case. According to the FBI, 60 percent
of residential burglaries in 1998
occurred during the daytime. ("Crime in
the United States 1998," page 39;
Federal Bureau of Investigation; US
Department of Justice; ISBN
0-16-0478756-0)
-
More
residential burglaries occur during the
day because homes tend to be vacant more
often while homeowners are away at work
or running errands.
-
For
comparison 63 percent of non-residential
burglaries occurred at night in 1998.
Obviously, this is because most
businesses are closed at night. ("Crime
in the United States 1998," page 39;
Federal Bureau of Investigation; US
Department of Justice; ISBN
0-16-0478756-0)
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Increase Visibility
You can make your home less appealing to the burglar
by increasing the chances that a neighbor will see
them. Consider the following suggestions:
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Tell a
trusted neighbor if you are going to be
gone for a few days. They can keep an
eye on your property looking for
anything suspicious.
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Install
motion detector lights around your house
instead of just leaving lights on at
night. The lights coming on and turning
off attract the attention of neighbors.
Install these lights at least 8 feet
above the ground so they are more
difficult to disable.
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Install
the motion detector lights so they light
all doors and windows. Doors, since they
are the preferred entry point, should be
the first priority to illuminate,
followed by windows.
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Remove
bushes and shrubs from around the house,
especially under windows and next to
doors. They provide a good place to hide
next to the house. Also, keep your yard
free of overgrowth. This will allow your
neighbors to easily detect strangers in
your yard.
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If you DO
have shrubs and bushes, select ones with
thorns to deter potential intruders from
hiding in them.
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Install a
security alarm system that emits an
audible alarm on site and/or flashing
lights. This will attract the attention
of neighbors. (For more information, see
the article on security alarm systems.)
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Lifestyle Changes
Other things can be done to reduce a burglar's
temptation to strike your home:
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Always
lock all doors and windows when you
leave the house. Believe it or not, many
burglaries occur when doors and windows
are left unlocked.
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Do not
provide your house keys to service
people.
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Do not let
strangers inside your home. Burglars
sometimes like to "case" the home by
posing as a motorist in distress or
other guise. Once inside, they look for
valuables that are worth stealing and
then come back later when the homeowner
is not home.
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Do not
have money or jewelry lying out in view
from a window.
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Do not
tell strangers your daily routines.
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If you are
at home working outside, leave all other
doors that are out of sight locked.
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Avoid
discussing with others the valuables or
collections that are kept in your home.
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If you
have children, discuss home security
with them, such as not talking with
strangers about their home, its
contents, or family schedules.
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Slow Them Down
You can deter burglars by making your house more
time consuming to break into. This is called "target
hardening." Ways to slow them down include the
following:
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Install
good quality deadbolt locks on all
exterior doors and any doors from
attached garages. (For more information
see the article on door locks.)
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Install
impact resistant glass in any location
within 42" of a door lock. This will
make it more difficult to break the
glass, reach in, and unlock the lock.
(For more information see the article on
window security.)
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Install
strong doors and doorframes on all
exterior doors and doors from attached
garages. (For more information see the
article on door and doorframe security.)
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Install
automatic openers on garage doors or
bolt-type locks on each end of the
garage doors.
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Install
additional window locks, especially on
all windows that are accessible from the
ground. (For more information see the
article on window security.)
-
Install
impact resistant glass in all basement
windows. Basement windows are an
often-used access point. (For more
information, see the article on window
security.)
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Install
security-type hinges on all exterior
doors and any doors from attached
garages. (For more information, see the
article on security hinges.)
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Properly
install doorframes on all exterior doors
and doors from attached garages so they
cannot be spread apart. (For more
information, see the article on door and
doorframe security.)
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Install
security-type door strikes on all
exterior doors and doors from attached
garages. (For more information, see the
article on door locks.)
- If your
community police department has a crime
prevention program, ask them to assess
your home for security weaknesses.
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In today's world, many of us
think of our homes as a secure refuge from the
outside world. Once a household has experienced a
break in, that sense of security is destroyed. For
those who have experienced a break-in or for those
who want to avoid a bad experience, there are things
that can be done.
Take time to become knowledgeable about your
options. Assess your own situation to determine what
should be done. And remember you can also ask your
local police department for advice.
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