Burglars often have methods for targeting home, some of which may be obvious and some of which aren’t.
Despite what people think, burglars target both affluent and disadvantaged neighborhoods and homes. They will look for easy targets that don’t have signs of security that could cause them trouble such as a monitored alarm or a dog. A house that is well-hidden with shrubs and trees and isn’t well lit is also good for thieves as they can move around freely without being seen.
Affluent And Disadvantaged Neighborhoods
There are two schools of thought as to why burglars may target one type of neighborhood over the other:
Affluent homes: The thought is that burglars tend to target homes and businesses that appear affluent because it’s more lucrative. If the homes are in an affluent area, one would expect that they have nicer things to steal and more of it. On the other hand, affluent homes may be more likely to have security systems, better locks, doors and windows, and the owners may be more likely to be well-connected and thus able to afford better security and more likely to get help in the case of a robbery.
Disadvantaged homes: The thought is that burglars will target poorer areas because the houses will be less likely to have security alarms, secure doors and windows and will be easier marks. Plus the belief is that these neighborhoods are less socially connected than richer neighborhoods and people may not want to snitch if they see something. Poorer neighborhoods are more accessible, more common (there are more of them) than rich neighborhoods and easier to enter than wealthy gated communities that may be far away.
Bottom line? Rich and poor neighborhoods get robbed as does every kind of area in between.
Empty Dwellings
62%
of known residential robberies happen during day with only 38% occurring at night. Not surprisingly, thieves tend to look for homes (and businesses) that are empty when they attempt to rob them. For homes, this means during the day when people tend to be at work or school. For businesses, this tends to be at night when many businesses are closed for the day.
For homes, an empty dwelling can also refer to a vacant or unoccupied home which is empty due to the fact that no one is currently living there. Thieves who work in pairs have been known to stuff some flyers or papers in a mailbox to either alert their partner to a potentially empty home or to see if anyone clears out the mailbox indicating the home may or may not be occupied.
Easy Targets
A house that is an easy target and desirable for a thief to rob:
- Doesn’t have evidence of a security alarm or a dog.
- Doesn’t have an active security camera.
- Has open windows and doors or ones that are easy to break.
- Has fences, shrubs and trees to block the view from the neighbors.
- Doesn’t have motion detector lighting to suddenly light up and make the thief visible.
- Has plenty of hidden places that the thief can hide.
- Is easy to enter and leave with multiple routes in case the thief has to run.
- Is remote or has little foot traffic or neighboring houses.
- Other things thieves look for: Corner houses with multiple exits. Single homes (instead of a row or townhouses). Remotely situated homes. A nice house with an expensive car in the driveway. These are all signs to a thief that a house might be worth robbing.
- Woman and some ethnic groups. Most thieves are men and they will target people they believe either can’t fight back or won’t defend themselves if they happen to run into the home owner.
Opportunity
Thieves look for opportunity and sometimes people can’t help but let them have it even without thinking. If a thief can peer into your house and notice electronics lying around or signs of affluence, they are more likely to target you knowing what they can steal.
Don’t post anything online that you don’t want everyone to know about. If you post vacation picks or announce on social media that you’re currently on holiday, it’s an invitation that your house is empty.
Summer is a popular time for thieves to strike because kids are off school and people tend to go on holiday leaving their house empty. Conversely February tends to be a less popular month for theft because it’s the middle of winter and the weather is bad especially if you live in a cold, snowy climate.
Garage doors left open, open windows and doors, toys and bikes left lying around the yard. This all leads a thief to believe you are lazy and lax with security and thus an easy target.
Burglars Like The Same Things You Do
One of the sad things about protecting your home is that burglars like the same things you do but for different reasons.
Quiet Road: You like your house on a quiet road because it’s not noisy, doesn’t have many cars and it’s safer for kids. Burglars like your quiet road because it’s easier for them to rob your home and not get noticed.
Back street: You like the quiet back street your home is on because it also has less traffic, is quieter and less busy. Thieves like it too because again, there are fewer people to discover them as they’re robbing your house.
Your nice car: You know that sweet car you like to park in the driveway so everyone walking by can see it? Thieves like it too because not only might they try to steal it, it indicates you have money.
Unlit area: You like shutting lights off inside and outside the house either to save electricity or just because you like things dark. Thieves like the dark too as they can move around your house and property without being noticed. It’s easier than when they have to deal with motion-detecting lights.