Burglaries can occur at any time during the day and night throughout all the seasons of the year. However, there are times when burglaries are more likely to occur, like at certain times of the day. Understanding when the majority of burglaries occur is powerful information, as it will also protect your home.
People tend to be more guarded at night as they assume that is when burglaries occur; however, this could not be further from the truth. The most common time for a burglary is between 10 am and 3 pm. Most burglars will target homes during the daytime as they believe there is no one present during that time. Burglars preferred the specific window between 12:30 to 2:30 pm as they did not want to be interrupted by people coming home from school or for lunch. It might be easy to panic and feel helpless, but thankfully, there are measures you can implement to ensure that your home is protected at all times.
Burglars will want to test your home security system in warmer months. There are some seasons where burglars will likely occur, with the summer months being the most popular. On average, household burglary rates are lower in winter as they are 11% lower in winter than in summer. In comparison to summer, burglary rates tend to be 9% lower in spring and 6% lower in autumn.
People tend to have a common misconception that burglars are not obvious, and when they target a home, they will wear all black in the dark of the night. As we already understand, burglars will target your home during the day, but it is crucial to note that they will try to appear as inconspicuous as possible. Therefore, you must always remain vigilant and pay attention to the people in your neighbourhood and strangers that roam around the area.
There may be some people who try to pose as door-to-door salespeople or claim to be from a utility company, so you grant them access to your home. However, this is a common scam that you need to be aware of as it is an easy way burglars use, as most people are trusting, and it can be an effective method to stage a successful home invasion.
‘Casing a house’ is when a burglar sizes up a home and evaluates how difficult or easy it would be to break in. If you detect any suspicious people or vehicles in the neighbourhood or the same area regularly, you should note this. You should also be wary of strangers exhibiting strange behaviour, such as taking photos outside your home, as this might indicate that they are casing your home. When casing a house, burglars will also take note of your daily habits, like when you usually leave and arrive home. Burglars will also try to find out whether you have any valuables and how much they might be worth, as this will determine whether or not they will target your home.
The average burglary takes between eight to ten minutes, so burglars do not have much time to grab possessions. Therefore, they will look for the most expensive valuables they can get their hands on in such a small window. The possessions that burglars will likely take include electronics such as laptops, phones and tablets, jewellery, cash, and guns.
Since burglars target items that are valuable, easy to carry and not easy to trace, ensure that you remove these items from plain view. The best burglary deterrent strategy in this situation would be to keep desirable things in a safe place.
Burglars will typically target homes that they deem to be easy targets. Homes with no home security system installed are three times as likely to be broken into. Burglars like homes with damaged or old locks as theymake the house look more vulnerable. If it appears as though someone is home, burglars will likely avoid breaking into that home. Houses located in the middle of a street are typically more likely to be burglarised than those houses on corner lots. Security measures like alarms and security cameras are also effective for keeping intruders away.
You can also prevent burglaries by ensuring that you remove obstacles blocking street visibility and that your lawn is always well-maintained. You might have heard that you should always leave your lights on when you are not around, making it look like someone is at home. However, this signals to burglars who might be casing your home that no one is at home, and it might make you an easier target. Instead, you should set timers on your lights that will go on and off at specific times when you usually need them at home. Smart home systems also enable you to remotely turn lights on and off, even when you are not at home.
Conclusion
Keeping your home safe is essential as you cannot assume that unwanted burglars and intruders take breaks from committing unlawful activities. It may not seem so, but everyone is always at risk for home burglary, regardless of where you live and what the home looks like. Understanding when you are most at risk for burglaries will enable you to move forward with a plan.
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