According to her research, an overwhelming majority of burglars enter homes through the doors and windows. Thirty-four percent use the front door, while 22 percent get in through the back door. Twenty-three percent use first-floor windows.
Unlocked windows and doors, open windows, doggy doors, and open garages are all signs a home may be easy to enter. Hidden keys near the front or back doors that are easy to find (under door mats or rocks, for example) also make homes easy to burglarize.
“You always want to hit the bedroom first,” a burglar said. “You are going to have jewelry. The jewelry is usually in the bedroom. Guns and stuff like that are in the closet, usually in the bedroom.”
Research shows that burglars tend to prefer corner houses because they're more accessible and they generally have fewer neighboring houses.
Leave the house and call 911
If you arrive home and think your home has been burglarized, get out immediately. Do not look for the thief. Then, call 911. You don't need to confirm that items have been stolen to contact police.
Do security lights deter burglars? Yes, they can. Light makes it hard for them to conceal their identity, so they are more likely to find a darker home.
If you have creaky doors, don't hide in a closet. Instead, hide under a bed, in a cupboard if you're small, in a shower, or even in a dog cage and cover it with a blanket. Make sure that you have a phone (preferable a cell phone) near you to call the police with.
Knowing when most burglaries occur is powerful information. 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.
The four main ways a burglar will choose their job include the following: Look for vulnerable folks (elderly, those living alone, easy targets, etc.) Opportunistic (very little forethought or planning) Desirability of property (smarter criminals)
Homes without security features: Did you know that homes without a security system are three times as likely to be broken into? Many burglars will scout for alarm systems and opt out if those features are present.
Shockingly, 85% of burglars will know their victims.
According to home break-ins statistics, it's far more likely that the person knows you.
Repeat Business – Ex-burglar has provided insight; “Burglars come back to the same houses quite often. They do this because of a number of motives. It's guaranteed that the people they robbed replaced the stuff they stole the first time, and often these replacements are of better quality than the original”.
Green Porch Light Meaning. A green porch light usually shows appreciation for U.S. veterans and active military members. However, you will also see green lights for St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, and Lyme disease awareness month.
Burglars often scope out a home, or 'window shop', before robbing it – they look at the entry and exit points and see if there are any valuables on display. Shielding your house with a tall fence will minimise that risk and may prevent a potential break-in.
Security cameras will generally deter and reduce burglary. If you install a security camera, your home is 300 % safer from break-ins than a home without a camera. Criminals don't want to be watched or recorded-this is one of the major reasons they are so effective.
They use ladders to gain access to second-story windows that are in most cases left open. Leaving your ladder outside could give burglars easy access to your home. Burglars look in on neighborhoods to identify easy targets.
Call 911 immediately and report that an intruder may be present in the home. If possible, provide as much information as possible about the suspect's appearance and location within your house or apartment. Stay calm, clear, and alert.