NCJ Number
124768
Date Published
1989
Length
49 pages
Annotation
This analysis of residential burglary in British cities focuses on the types of factors that place particular households at risk and the implications for burglary prevention.
Abstract
The analyses based on official statistics and interviews with offenders show that risk factors include the household's social class and tenure, physical and architectural factors, and social or cultural aspects of the household. Thus, the areas most at risk for residential burglary are innercity areas and public housing. On a local basis, residences adjacent to open space or near major roads are also at risk. Proximity to offender residences is a further risk factor. Physical factors that increase the burglary risk include low levels of occupancy and poor surveillance characteristics. Social and cultural factors include social cohesion at the neighborhood level and relationships with neighbors. The findings indicate that burglaries can be grouped into two or three types and that the risk of each type can be assessed in terms of specific physical, economic, and social variables. Chapter notes and 36 references.