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.
A person is guilty of burglary if, having entered a building or part of a building as a trespasser, they steal or attempt to steal anything in the building, or inflict or attempt to inflict grievous bodily harm on any person in the building.
Domestic burglary
Overall, 75% of burglars were under the age of 40, with the majority (53%) between the ages of 25 and 39 (Office for National Statistics, 2020c).
Further information can be found in Crime Victimisation, Australia, 2021-22. Grab 1. The Crime Victimisation Survey showed us that 2% of households experienced a break-in during 2021-22.
Persons age 18 to 21 were the most likely to experience a serious violent crime, and blacks in that age group were the most vulnerable: 72 victimizations per 1,000 blacks, 50 victimizations per 1,000 Hispanics, and 46 victimizations per 1,000 whites.
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.
Burglars are often opportunistic thieves who prey on houses and flats. They seek out any opening that they can take advantage of, specifically doors and windows that are left open or unlocked or are easy to force. Anything of value that they might spot through a window will only spur them on.
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.
To classify an offense as a burglary, the use of force to gain entry need not have occurred. The UCR Program has three subclassifications for burglary: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry.
Burglars have different motivations for their crimes, but the primary one is the need for money. Generally, due to its rapid nature, burglary is one of the most difficult crimes to solve, making it a great means by which to get quick, easy money.
We figured out that burglars are not fearless. They are afraid of many things you can use to make your home as safe as possible. You may install CCTY cameras and alarm systems or use your outdoor lights and security stickers. We hope you find our easy tips on deterring burglars helpful.
The most common times for break-ins occur between 10 am and 3 pm. Rather than being guarded by night, most burglars choose the daytime to attempt a break-in, targeting homes when they believe no one will be present.
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.
Hedges and plants - Prickly bushes and hedges around a garden can act as a deterrent to a burglar. Lighting and driveways - Get an outdoor light with a sensor that comes on when someone's around and don't underestimate the deterrent of a gravel drive. It makes quite a noise when walked on and can deter burglars.
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.
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.
Burglars look under the bed, in closets, in dresser drawers and medicine cabinets in your bathroom. Next burglars will hit up the kitchen and living room for electronics, credit cards, keys and personal information.
A study by the Office for National Statistics also found that 60% of burglaries take place during the day. More often than not, your constant night-time lights won't make a difference to whether or not you're burgled.
The age-crime curve
Figures 2 and 3 show the age distribution of offenders proceeded against for property (Figure 2) and violent offences (Figure 3) in NSW in 2012. It is clear from both figures that the likelihood of offending increases rapidly from the age of 11 or 12 to about 16 or 17.
The elderly, those who are poor, those who have physical or mental problems, children, and members of certain minority groups are those who are most likely to become victims of crime. Especially in situations of domestic abuse and sexual assault, victims often know the criminals who committed the crime.
Teenagers are most often the victims of both violence and personal theft. Teenage black males have the highest victimization rates for violent crime (about 20 percent higher than teenage black females, the next highest group).