A recent study by UNC Charlotte showed that burglars typically spend no more than one minute breaking into a home and fewer than 10 minutes inside. Although they work quickly, burglars have a keen eye for valuable possessions. The FBI reports that each home burglary victim suffers an average of $2,188 in property loss.
Here are the top six most coveted possessions according to a recent study.
Cash
Jewelry
Illegal Drugs
Electronics
Prescription Drugs
Clothing and Shoes
To keep your home and personal property safe this season (and all year), these are deterrents to burglars.
Proximity to people (someone seeing or hearing the break in.
Lack of escape routes.
Indicators of security (alarm signs, dogs, neighborhood watch programs, outside cameras, or other surveillance equipment. (Most burglars try to determine if an alarm is present before attempting a burglary.)
Other Important Facts You Should Know:
Male burglars often planned their burglaries more deliberately and carefully, and were more likely to visit a potential target ahead of time to gather intelligence.
Males preferred to focus on businesses in the late evenings.
Females preferred to burglarize homes and residences in the afternoon timeframe.
Just under a third of the offenders reported that they collected information about a potential target prior to initiating a burglary attempt.
Most burglars entered open windows or doors, or forced windows or door open.
