NCJ Number
196147
Date Published
August 2004
Length
80 pages
Annotation
This problem-oriented guide for police officers addresses the problem of burglary of single-family homes and offers responses to the problem.
Abstract
In this first part of this guide, the author describes the problem of burglaries of single-family homes. She informs the reader that approximately 60 percent of burglaries occur during the daytime hours when houses are most often unoccupied. Targets are selected based on many key factors including familiarity with the target, convenience of the location, occupancy, accessibility, and potential rewards. The author discusses these factors in some depth and then turns to a discussion of the burglars themselves. According to arrest statistics from 1999, approximately 87 percent of burglars were male and 63 percent were under 25 years of age. It is also revealing to learn that most burglars know their victims and thus, have some knowledge of their daily schedules. The second half of this guide describes how to assess the local problem of burglary of single-family homes and, then, how to combat the problem. The author offers four categories of responses to burglary: situational crime prevention responses, victim oriented responses, offender oriented responses, and responses with limited effectiveness. Situation crime prevention responses include such suggestions as installing alarm systems, implementing neighborhood watch programs, and improving the visibility of houses. Victim oriented responses include protecting repeat victims because research indicates that homes that have been burglarized once are up to four times more likely to be burglarized again. Offender oriented responses include targeting repeat offenders and providing substance abuse treatment options. Finally, two responses that have been met with limited success include increasing criminal sanctions for this offense and providing generic crime prevention education to the public. Appendix, notes, and references