For money. Often, people commit burglary with the intention of selling the stolen items for cash. Homes and cars that have expensive items that a potential burglar can view through the window are particularly at risk of getting broken into by those who aim to commit a crime for money.
Who's breaking in? A study on the habits and motivations of burglars conducted by the UNC Charlotte found: Burglars are most likely to be male and under 25 years old. 85% of break ins are by amateurs and done out of desperation, which some might suggest makes them more dangerous.
Alarm Systems or Sirens — A Useful Burglar Deterrent
Burglar deterrent audio or sound would scare away those thieves. Burglars hate attention. That's the main reason why burglar alarms and sirens are effective on deterring thieves.
Victims. Street robbers search for victims who appear to have money or other valuables—for example, students and tourists. They also target people who appear to be the most vulnerable—like young adults using ATMs alone at night or under the influence of alcohol.
Common Characteristics
Your average burglar is generally non-violent, unemployed or retired and a repeat offender. He probably works alone, lives not too far away and may just be doing it for the thrill. He also selects his targets ahead of time, including visiting his victim.
Your attic is not likely to be visited by a burglar because they are usually hard to find and access. So, it is always a good idea to store valuables in attic storage containers. As an extra safety precaution make sure to mark them with labels like “winter clothes” or “old shoes” to throw a burglar off of your scent.
According to an analysis by Vivint Smart Home, 50.3% of burglaries occur at night between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. while the other half (49.7%) happen in daylight hours.
Front door: 34% of burglars twist the doorknob and walk right in. First-floor windows: 23% use a first-floor open window to break into your home. Back door: 22% come in through the back door. Garage doors: 9% gain entrance through the garage.
The main bedroom is known as the most common place for valuables to be kept, which is why it's often the first port of call for the burglar on the lookout for cash. They'll look for cash in cupboards, drawers, under the mattress and also in those places you thought they'd never look, like shoe boxes or vases.
In 2021, the number of other thefts increased by 1% to 442,465 victims, up 5,838 victims from 2020.
The first place most burglars look is the master bedroom [2]. Many burglars then move on to a study, library, or office where electronics are located. Bathrooms are also popular, where the thief goes through your medicine cabinet. Various cabinets and drawers throughout the house.
Past trauma or experience – Scelerophobia can be induced by experiencing or witnessing criminal activity. For example, your home might have been burgled or the home of someone in your family or in your street. Genetics – You're more likely to develop scelerophobia if a direct relative has a phobia or OCD.
When you think of an intruder breaking into your home, you most likely imagine them sneaking in the middle of the night when you're sleeping. In reality, it is quite the opposite. Research suggests that most burglars break in during the day, typically between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays.
32% (43,100) for non face-to-face threatened assault. 45% (24,400) for robbery.
The FBI tells us that the average home burglary only takes between eight to 10 minutes, with some taking as little as 90 seconds. Burglars only have the chance to grab a few of your valuable possessions with such a small window of opportunity.
Should you leave outdoor lights on at night? No, leaving lights on can make intruders think that you're not home. Use a motion sensor light that turns on when you, or anyone else, comes near so you have light only when you need it.
The least common stolen items are fuel, cameras, and their house keys (1%).
It's obvious why burglars wear little black masks to preserve their anonymity, but why do they wear stripy jumpers? Camouflage. Stripes blend well into shadowy environments such as darkened streets and forests.
In fact, according to FBI data, most break-ins occur during the day between 10 AM and 3 PM because it is when people are least likely to be home. For the average break-in, the presence of lighting is not even a factor as daylight would overshadow any security lighting.
NEW SOUTH WALES
In NSW, a person is permitted to defend themselves inside their home, per the 2001 NSW Crimes Act. However, an amendment made in the early 2000s means a homeowner can only use the trespassing defence if they had injured, not killed the intruder.