To Stop a Burglar Before He Starts, Try Thinking Like One
Burglary and home invasion are real concerns among American homeowners. For some, the concern is motivation enough to do everything possible to maintain a high level of security. That is what people do. When they are afraid of something, they do what they can to protect themselves from it. What does this suggest about preventing burglary?
If you hope to stop a burglar before he ever gets started on your home, you need to think like him. You need to figure out what goes through his mind so that you can come up with ways to stop him. It is like the old adage says, you need to know your enemy before you can defeat him.
Interesting Burglary Statistics
A deep dive into burglary statistics can reveal a lot about how criminals think. Statistics reveal their tendencies and habits. They reveal who burglars like to target, when they tend to work, and how they pull off their crimes.
I am not going to go through a ton of statistics, but there are some that I think will be beneficial to the main point of this post. Here they are, compliments of SafeHome.org:
83% of burglars look for a home security system before breaking in.
60% would select a new target if they found a home security system.
50% will immediately stop a break-in attempt if an alarm system is discovered.
31% will immediately retreat if an alarm system is discovered.
It's clear that burglars do not like home security systems. The question is, why? If you can figure that out, you are one step closer to understanding what motivates burglars to do what they do.
They Don't Want to Get Caught
Avoiding a home equipped with an alarm indicates that a burglar doesn't want to get caught. Likewise for stopping a burglary attempt and retreating once a home security system is identified. Security systems are bad news for burglars. They increase the chances of a burglar being caught, arrested, and prosecuted.
There is a lesson to be learned here: the harder you can make things on a burglar, the less likely he is to target your home. Increased difficulty means higher chances of being caught. The more time a burglar spends in your home, the greater his risk. So putting up every possible roadblock makes it harder for a burglar to justify entering your home.
Most Burglaries Are Not Planned
SafeHome.org contends that most burglaries are committed to acquire cash or valuables that can be turned into drugs. Only 12% are planned; 41% are actually spur-of-the-moment crimes. What should this tell us about how burglars think?
First of all, it tells us that burglars are reacting to their circumstances. They want drugs but they do not have the money. They decide to pull off a burglary only to finance that next purchase. This knowledge works to your advantage.
Make Burglars Uncomfortable
Knowing that burglars are normally reacting to their circumstances, you can create circumstances that make burglarizing your home quite uncomfortable. Let us go back to the home security system.
Seeing surveillance cameras or a home security placard in your window can make a burglar nervous. Automated lighting can scare him away if he chooses to break in overnight. Planting thorny bushes in front of first floor windows takes those windows off the table in terms of entry points.
What Burglars Look for Before Entering
Data suggests that burglars look at some key things before beginning a break-in attempt. There are three in particular:
Location – A home's location plays a role and how easy it is to breach without being discovered. Homes on busy streets with plenty of traffic are more risky to burglars than those on quieter streets where very little traffic goes by.
Occupants – Burglars are definitely concerned about occupants. They will try to assess if there are any people in the house. And if so, the number of people could make a difference.
Security Measures – Based on what you have already read, it makes sense that burglars look for security measures. They scout a property looking for cameras, alarm company signs, and even dogs.
Burglars look over a property the same way you might assess the paperwork on your desk before you begin your workday. This suggests that it is possible to discourage a burglar by making him believe the job ahead won't be worth the time and effort it takes to pull off.
Make Life as Difficult as Possible
I have been writing on home security and automation for years. One of the most consistent pieces of advice I run across during my research is this: making life as difficult as possible on burglars increases the chances of them leaving you alone.
A home security system is a good place to start in this endeavor. Run an internet search on the best home security systems money can buy. You will end up finding links to all of the major brands. Vivint is one of those brands, and they recommend investing in:
Door and window sensors
Motion sensors
Glass break sensors
Wireless video cameras
24/7 monitoring
Check out their post on the best home security systems for California to see everything they recommend for maximum safety. Needless to say, they offer both equipment and professional monitoring services.
Above and Beyond Home Security
A home security system is just the start of making life difficult for burglars. Make things even more difficult by installing heavy duty deadbolt locks on all of your first-floor doors. Reinforce your basement windows with security glass. Trim landscaping to provide a clear view from the curb and always keep your garage door closed when it doesn't have to be open.It's not too hard to figure out how to stop a burglar if you can think like one. This post has hopefully given you some food for thought. There's plenty of additional information online, so do some research and then make yourself and your property safer.