Trying to get inside the mind of a burglar would be pretty difficult to do. Research on the subject will give you some important insight to keep your family and home protected.
New Research
In a study by the University of North Carolina, both male and female incarcerated burglars were asked 422 randomly chosen questions about their habits as burglars before and after their robbery and arrest. For both male burglars, the number one motivator is money whereas the main motivator for females is drugs.
Researchers found that 54% of the incarcerated worst offense was burglary, 73% of respondents were on drugs or alcohol when they committed a burglary, and 64% indicated they would spend a portion of the money from the burglary on drugs. 88% of respondents were motivated by drugs or money to commit the crime.
Inside a Burglar’s Mind
The very first thing a burglar will look for is the presence of working surveillance cameras outside followed by a home security system. This will make the burglar move on to another home. Other deterrents are an abundance of outdoor lighting and outdoor noise (people and music). Most burglars said they would give up on a burglary if they discovered a home alarm system. 60% of the burglars admitted to performing more than one robbery in a night and hitting multiple homes.
A recent trend has burglars targeting the homes of families during funeral services. The burglars are accessing the obituaries and seeking out the address of families while they are attending funerals. The obituaries provide the family name, time of the service and occasionally their address. This information is like gold to a burglar. While most burglaries only take 10-12 minutes, an intruder who knows that nobody will be returning for hours can take their time searching a home for the real valuables.
“This study adds to our understanding of burglars, their motivations, and their techniques,” says Dr. Joseph Kuhns of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of North Carolina. “It also helps us gain insights into the impact of demographic differences. By asking the burglars themselves what motivates and what deters them, we believe this research can help people better understand how to protect themselves against these crimes.”
At HS Tech Group, we can help you with a home security system, video surveillance, security lighting and other essential steps to help deter criminals from breaking into your home and keeping your family safe. Call us today for a security evaluation for your home.
