How Burglars Choose Their Victims

Nobody wants to think of themselves as the person that a burglar, or predator of any kind, would consider to be a perfect victim. While some of us take pride in how we carry ourselves in the world and others have a more casual approach, it is nonetheless a proven eventuality that those seeking the perfect subject to burglarize are looking for specific things in a person or home.

Here are the key things that burglars look for in potential victims. Be aware of them, and consider investigating security services in order to keep yourself, your family, and your property safe.

Vulnerability

Vulnerability can take different forms. In an individual, perhaps you have poor posture and slump your shoulders as you walk. You could also be someone who has a tendency to look at the ground when you are walking. Perhaps you are carrying a bundle of groceries and can’t easily defend your purse or wallet.

When it comes to a house, vulnerability looks slightly different. Maybe the house has no fence, no visible security system like cameras, no motion-activated lights. Sometimes even open curtains that show an unlit house with no occupants makes a home uniquely vulnerable to burglary.

Opportunity

Seeing an opportunity essentially means seeing an opening to act. As an individual, perhaps you forgot your purse in a department store’s dressing room, or left your car door unlocked. When it comes to a house, this is a bit more complex.

House break-ins rarely happen without at least a little planning, and would-be burglars seek out houses with visible vulnerabilities as described above, as well as opportunities to break in. This means casing the house, or watching it, to see when the residents leave for work, or if there is a regular time that they are away from home every day. They also size-up the property in terms of doors, windows, and any obvious security implements.

Desirability

There are a few different ideas about what makes a property desirable to a burglar. While a large house that is clearly the home of a wealthy family may be the most attractive and monetarily desirable for what it has to offer, chances are that the richer someone is, the more they have invested in home security systems to keep their home and family safe.

On the other end of the spectrum, working class houses may not have luxury items, but they most likely have cash, “liftable” items like computers and televisions, and limited home security protections due to their limited budget. Working class homes are uniquely vulnerable to break-ins, despite this being counterintuitive to what people might think.

Accessibility

A house needs to be accessible, and this is often a negotiable issue. Any burglar can most likely break a window and enter a home, or even jimmy the door to get in. Home security systems are wonderfully efficient when it comes to removing accessibility to a home, because cameras, motion detectors, and motion-activated lights will make the homeowners aware of anyone approaching the home and limit their time to act before emergency services are contacted.