If you do a quick Google search of “burglar confessions”, you’ll get thousands of results of news articles and 60 Minute-style shows of interviews with real-life burglars. It’s a fascinating read to get in the mind a criminal – even just a minor one. But you can also learn a lot!
We’ve done the heavy lifting for you and found the top 6 responses from burglars that have helped us learn something new about keeping the bad guys at bay.
1. There’s not a lot of planning
Nearly 45% of burglars who have been asked if they plan and target a particular home said no. They know they’re going out to break into homes, but they don’t have a target. If they happen to choose your home, it’s because you look like an easy target.
Overgrown trees, fences that obscure the view of your entry points and a full mailbox are all things that burglars will look for.
The one thing that a burglar needs is time, so if you’re out, and they can’t be seen fiddling with doors and windows, then they’ve got that extra time to get in and look around before anyone notices them.
2. They’ll probably knock first
We’ve learned that most burglars who want to check if you’re home or not, simply knock on the front door to see what will happen. If you answer, they might say they’re looking for a lost dog, have the wrong house – or even pretend to be taking anonymous surveys!
So if someone suspicious knocks on your door one day, maybe keep an eye out and see what happens next. But be safe! Never approach or accuse anyone of anything. If you do see suspicious behaviour, call your nearest police station.
Some burglars even mentioned that if there’s a TV on in the home, they won’t even bother knocking. So it’s not crazy to leave it on while you’re out!
3. Most break ins happen during the day
Locking up during the middle of day is one of the best ways to keep your home safe. This is when burglars are most likely to operate.
When you’re on a school run, out at work or even out to lunch, this is the time when someone walking up the street isn’t suspicious. So it’s when most burglars operate.
Make sure when you’re out during the day to lock up.
4. They’ll kick in doors, before they break glass
Nothing is louder on a quiet suburban street than breaking glass. And when you throw a rock or brick through a window, it makes a lot of noise. Out of all the burglar interviews we found, after looking for an unlocked entry point, burglars are more likely to kick in a wooden door, than break your glass.
Burglars can’t kick in Crimsafe. Getting Crimsafe security doors on both your back and fronts doors means that burglars simply can’t get in that way if they’re locked. And if kicking down doors is their M.O., you can rest assured that you’re safe with Crimsafe.
5. They look for keys (and know where you hide them!)
Those fake key hiding rocks from Bunnings just aren’t going to cut it. If you know what you’re looking for, it’s obvious! Under pot plants, in mailboxes, under mats and the top of door frames are the most common places to leave spare keys.
If you’re worried about locking yourself out, give a key to a trusted friend or family member. Or if you must hide it outside the property, do a really good job. Hide it somewhere weird that no one would either think of, or have time to look for.
6. They go straight for the bedroom
Is the bedroom where you keep your most valuable possessions? Jewelry, sometimes cash, passports and electronics like phones and cameras. Same here! Or at least, we used to.
If you live in a home with easy access to the bedroom, chances are the burglar is going to try this window first if they can’t get in through the front door. It’s important to not only secure this room completely, but keep your valuables somewhere else entirely.
In an ideal situation, a wall or floor safe is the most secure option. If that’s a bit too pricey, or just not possible in your home, buy some ‘fake’ expensive jewelry to keep in your usual spot, and keep your valuables in a plain old shoebox in a cupboard in the kids room. That way, your burglar will think they’ve got the goods and high-tail it out of there.
For more tips to secure your home for when you’re away on holiday, or just in general, check out our article Protecting Your Home When You’re on Holidays, and don’t forget Part Two!
You can do everything right to deter burglars from targeting your home. But at the end of the day, someone might just choose your house as they drive by. So the very best thing that you can do to stop burglars getting in, is to use Crimsafe security screens. Crimsafe passes or exceeds standards for impact, jemmy and knife-shear testing to ensure our screens provide the highest level of protection against intruders.
