Unfortunately, after one “successful” burglary, intruders are likely to come back and target the same home again. Some studies show that only 1.2% of burgled residences experienced 29% of all burglaries. Repeat burglaries also often occur quickly after the first one—25% within one week and 51% within one month.
According to several studies, 50 percent of repeat victims had their homes robbed twice within a month or two. Not only are burglars prone to returning to the scene of a crime, but they are also prone to doing so without waiting for long.
Do burglars come back to the same house twice? A confused.com survey revealed that more than one in six (17%) of burglary victims had fallen prey to being burgled three times or more, and 65% of those in the same property! Surprisingly, it's not uncommon for the second crime to be committed by the original burglar!
What are the chances of a repeat burglary? In fact, the chance of a burglar coming back is very high, and as many as one out of every three house burglary victims is a repeat victim. Unlucky victims even have an eight percent chance of being burgled two or more times again.
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.
A 2018 Bureau of Justice Statistics study reveals that renters are more likely to experience burglaries and home invasions than those who own homes. The highest incidence of break ins typically occur in small, two to four unit apartment buildings. Students are burglary victims more often than other groups.
But the truth is, every household that finds itself subject to a robbery should, before anything else, call the police. If you walk into your home to find that it's been robbed, you should leave the house immediately, go back to your car or to a neighbor's home, and call the police.
Most “burglars” just want to break into your home, find something of value and get out as quickly as they can. In fact, the timeframe within which a burglary is committed is between 90 seconds and 12 minutes, according to the FBI! But the typical commission time is between 8 and 10 minutes.
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.
Unfortunately, after one “successful” burglary, intruders are likely to come back and target the same home again. Some studies show that only 1.2% of burgled residences experienced 29% of all burglaries. Repeat burglaries also often occur quickly after the first one—25% within one week and 51% within one month.
They often pick a house by surveilling the neighborhood and finding the one with the most predictable patterns of when people come and go. They also look for properties in more rural or isolated parts of the neighborhood, and houses that are well maintained or have fancy cars in the driveway.
Fortunately, unlike movies, most burglars are looking to steal your belongings, not harm you. It's still pretty terrifying, though, to wake up in the middle of the night and realize someone else is in your house—and one can't exactly read a burglar's mind or know his or her intentions.
Felson says indoor lights can deter burglars from breaking in, but they often break in anyway after knocking on the door to see if anyone answers. Outdoor security lighting is effective if there are people — neighbors, pedestrians or police — to actually see suspicious activity.
Not surprisingly, on average, homes that are burglarized tend to be homes that have no dogs. Large dogs may present a physical threat, but don't count ankle-biters out. They bark and attract a lot of attention. For those who do strike at night, poor lighting makes it harder for neighbors to see what they're doing.
“The most popular items that burglars are looking to steal are typically cash, jewelry, and electronics.
Burglars will frequently walk up and knock on the front door to see if someone is home, giving an excuse – asking for directions, have you seen my dog?, oops wrong house – whenever someone answers it. Mild vandalism like a rock through a side window.
What's more, the majority of burglaries were committed by people who knew their victims, according to a 2020 SafeAtLast report.
Burglars said families should avoid hiding valuables in living room drawers and dressers, pots and pans and locked safes that are not secured to the floor or wall - as these are the places thieves search first.
Research suggests that most burglars break in during the day, typically between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays. This is because you're less likely to be home during the day, especially during the 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. window.