Nearly 30% of all burglaries occurred at a residence during the day, a figure that has been on the increase in recent years. Eleven percent of all burglaries of offices and stores took place during the day also. About a quarter of all robberies happened at an unknown time of day, but it is reasonable to think a significant portion of them happened during the day (those robberies which occurred at an known time of day were not included in the panel.)
George Rengart, a professor in the Department of Criminology at Temple University, argues that there is more than one type of burglar. There is the "first opportunity" burglar, also known as "the smash and grab." Urban drug addicts are of this type. They need money quickly. There is also the "marriage model" burglar. He will scout homes until he finds one that he likes. The "homebuyer model" burglar develops a short list of potential houses to rob.
It is not uncommon for thieves to study houses to determine which may be empty. According to the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, a typical burglar may spend only minutes to break into a house, but he may spend 30 to 40 minutes choosing the dwelling. Are newspapers piled up by the door? Have garbage cans been left at curbside? Are there no lights on in the house in the evenings? All of these are potential tipoffs. Some thieves have been known to call houses to see if anyone answers. In Rengart's study, he found thieves would watch women's coming and goings to learn their schedules. As "guardians of the home" women's routines were less predictable than those of men and children (who leave every day to go to work and school at the same time). He discovered women left the home just as the typical burglar started his day. Stay-at-home mothers are one thing. What of the millions of families where both women and men are off at work all day? "Suburban two-income couples are easy marks for burglars," according to Rengart. "The only thing that protects them is the distance between the burglar and their home."
Highest growth has been associated with non-residence properties burgled by day. The share of thefts from offices and buildings grew 37.5% from 1998 to 2000. From 1976 to 2000, the category grew 120%. In a study conducted by Dr. Simon Hakim and Mary Ann Gaffney, office suites accounted for 47% of commercial burglaries, almost 2.5 times more than single office buildings. Office suites are attractive targets for crooks, especially newer buildings where tenants will have newer office equipment — equipment easier to fence. Similarly, office parks make good targets because they tend to be secluded, poorly lit, and deserted after business hours.
Businesses have, of course, taken steps to protect their property. Private security spending has increased 900% from 1975 to 1998, according to one study. The percentage of retail businesses with closed-circuit television systems has soared to 73% since the devices were first employed in the 1980s.
According to the FBI, the total dollar loss to victims was $4.3 billion in 1995, $3.1 billion in 1999. The average losses increased slightly: $1,305 to $1,441 for residences and $1,391 to $1,490 for non-residences. The greatest losses came from the theft of televisions, radios, stereos, jewelry, and currency.
In roughly half of all burglaries, thieves gain entrance through the front door. Really? Amazing…
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, Washington D.C., USGPO, 2001, p. 323; Calem, Robert E. "Protecting Your Turf." Meetings & Conventions, May 1996, p. 42; Brad Edmonson. "Time for Crime." American Demographics, April 1991, p. 14; Lisa Arbetter. "Understanding Commercial Burglaries." Security Management, June 1994, p. 13.
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