Why is burglary a problem

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Yoga for Worrying. Secluded houses reduce the likelihood that burglars will be seen or heard, and are therefore attractive targets. Corner houses offer advantages but also pose risks to burglars: they are more accessible, but police and others can better surveil them.

Accessibility determines how easily a burglar can enter a house. Thus, the following houses are at greater risk of burglary:. Alleys behind houses provide burglars ready access and escape. Vulnerability or security. How vulnerable or secure a house is determines how likely a burglar is to target it.

The following houses are particularly at risk. Potential rewards. In selecting targets, burglars consider the size and condition of a house and the type of cars in the driveway as indicators of the type and value of the house's contents. Burglars are most likely to steal cash and goods they can easily carry and sell, including jewelry, weapons, televisions, stereo equipment, and computers. Few burglars keep the goods they steal.

A study in Britain showed that burglars typically disposed of stolen property within 24 hours, usually after stashing it in a semipublic location. They thus minimized their risk by moving goods only short distances. Burglars tend to dispose of stolen goods through local pawnshops, taxi drivers and small-store owners. Some burglars sell stolen goods on the street, occasionally trading them for drugs. Burglars commonly sell stolen goods in bars and gas stations; 53 in bars, they usually sell the goods to staff, rather than customers.

In about two-thirds of reported U. Unsecured windows and doors including sliding glass doors are common entry points. Burglars typically use simple tools such as screwdrivers or crowbars to pry open weak locks, windows and doors, 55 or they may simply break a window or kick in a door.

In about one-third of burglaries, the offenders do not force entry; they enter through unlocked or open windows and doors, especially basement windows and exterior and interior garage doors. Open garage doors give burglars easy access to items in the garage, potentially provide access to the house, and, if there are no vehicles in the garage, indicate that the house is probably unoccupied. National arrest data indicate that most burglars are male—87 percent of those arrested in Whites accounted for 69 percent of burglary arrests, and blacks accounted for 29 percent.

A lot of research has been conducted with burglars in the last decade, much of it to examine their decision-making, especially about target selection. Much of the research comes from interviews with offenders. Their willingness or ability to recall burglaries may influence the accuracy of the findings. Also, since police clear so few burglaries, there are likely major differences between successful burglars and those who get arrested. Successful burglars may be older or may differ in other important ways from those who get caught.

Burglars can be quite prolific: one study found that offenders commonly committed at least two burglaries per week. Burglars do not typically limit their offending to burglary; they participate in a wide range of property, violent and drug-related crime. Some research suggests that most burglaries involve more than one offender. In one jurisdiction, 36 percent of burglars acted alone, while in another, 75 percent did.

One study revealed that in about 45 percent of residential burglaries, offenders had a partner. Most research categorizes burglars—as novice, middle-range and professional, for example. Novices, the most common type, tend to be younger, make minimal gains from burglaries, burglarize nearby dwellings, and can be easily deterred by dogs, alarms or locks.

Burglary: Crime analysis and prevention. JPCP 10, 53—63 Download citation. Issue Date : October Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Skip to main content. Search SpringerLink Search. References Bennett, H. Google Scholar Brantingham, P. Google Scholar Cohen, L.

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