Facts About Burglaries

 ·  Burglary is the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. A person can be convicted of burglary even if nothing was actually stolen.

 ·  A burglary occurs approximately every 15 seconds in the United States.

 ·  On average, a burglary results in a dollar loss of about $1,600.

 ·  About 30 percent of all burglaries are classified as "unlawful entry," meaning the burglar was able to gain entry without using force — often through an unlocked door or window.

 ·  Nearly 66 percent of all burglaries are residential, and of those, 62 percent occur during the daytime. Most burglaries occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., when no one is likely to be at home.

 ·  Renters are more likely to be the victims of property crime than homeowners.

 ·  Only 13 percent of reported burglaries are solved, or "cleared," by the police.

 ·  Only about 15 percent of property stolen in burglaries is recovered by the police.

 ·  Nearly 85 percent of all burglaries occur in large metropolitan areas.

 ·  Almost half of the nation's reported burglaries occur in the South: 45 percent, as opposed to
     the  Northeast's 11, the Midwest's 20 and the West's 24.

 ·  The highest percentage of burglaries occur during the summer months of July and August,
     when  many people are away from their homes on vacation, or have left windows open for
     ventilation.

 ·  Arrest records reported to the FBI indicate that approximately 70 percent of all burglary arrestees are white and 86 percent are male.

 ·  About 30 percent of private homes have security systems. Homes without security systems are two to three times more likely to be broken into.

Helpful Hints For Prevention

• Having photos, videos and serial numbers of your valuables can be extremely helpful in identifying your stolen goods.
• Contact the manufacturers of some of your valuables, as they may have advice or additional products on how to better secure and protect them from thieves.
• Get your driver's license number (NOT your Social Security number) engraved on any expensive electronic equipment. Doing so can not only assist in their return, but can actually dissuade theft: Marked property is difficult to sell or pawn.
• Invisible-ink pens can be used to identify your property. Again, using your driver's license number as an I.D., a simple ultraviolet light on stolen property will show the police who the real owner is.
• Photocopy receipts of expensive items and store them in a safe place so you have proof of purchase for insurance reasons.
• Use A Bolted Down Safe that cannot be carried out of the house to store important documents, information and valuables. It's a simple investment that will protect vital possessions.
• Shredding documents with personal information (such as bank and credit-card statements or anything with a Social Security number on it) will keep a burglar or someone looking through your trash from finding your information and assuming your identity.
• Credit cards are immediate cash — keep records of what cards you have, always keep them signed on the back and any surplus cards should be kept in a Safe.
• Keep equipment for expensive hobbies (boats, Jet Skis, golf clubs, etc.) covered up — even better, keep them locked up out of sight.
• What you think is well hidden is nearly always easy pickings for burglars, so lock things up instead of keeping them in "clever" hiding places like the freezer, the bag of sugar or the cookie jar.
• Leaving empty boxes from your new computer, DVD player or TV on the curb for trash pickup advertises that you have things worth stealing in your home. Break boxes down or cut them up to conceal what they contained.
• A computer lock is an easy and inexpensive way to protect valuable personal or customer information. Computers are expensive items to replace. Keep track of all your computers through a GPS system.
• Blank CDs are a cheap and easy way to back up information on your computer in case it's stolen. Be sure to store your CDs in a bolted down safe.
• If you keep your jewelry in the house, lock your jewelry and other valuables in a bolted-down floor safe.
  * Keep information about your safe-deposit box separate from any personal identification documents such as passports or Social Security cards. If these documents are stolen, you could suffer further losses if someone is able to use them to gain access to your safe-deposit box.
• Secure furs like you would any other valuable: Keep them in a closet with a dead bolt, and be sure to monogram or write your name on the skin of your fur to aid identification and recovery in case it is stolen.
• Be sure to lock your bikes and four-wheelers to a bolted-down surface.
• For pricey heirlooms, get serious about securing them. First, invest in an appraiser to have a firm dollar figure on your valuables. Then photograph, catalogue and put them on your homeowner's policy. So if a heist ever goes down, you're covered. Then lock them in a bolted down safe.
• An art-security hanger makes a painting difficult to remove from the wall by "locking" it in place. In addition, a product like "Data Dots" records identification information on an adhesive the size of a grain of sand, so your artwork is traceable if stolen.