BURGLARY

In Arizona, one burglary is committed every 9 minutes, 37 seconds. There were more than 55,000 burglaries reported in the state during 2006, with the total value of property stolen amounting to $135,128,773. In burglaries where the time of occurrence was known, 19,910 occurred between the hours of 6 AM and 6 PM. Residential burglaries in 2006 accounted for the highest property loss, $85,793,269.

Almost 5,000 people were arrested for burglary in Arizona in 2006. Adults accounted for 3,248 arrests and juveniles accounted for more than 1,400 arrests. Forcible entry was the means used most often to commit burglaries.

How To Prevent Home Burglaries

1. Fool burglars by making your home look occupied even when you are not there.
2. Use automatic timers on lights when you are away from home.
3. Park your cars in the garage with the garage door closed. Closing the garage door and having curtains or blinds on the garage windows also keeps your belongings out of sight.
4. Place radios on automatic timers and raise their volume.
5. Ask a neighbor to pick up your mail and newspapers when you are away or place a temporary stop on these deliveries.
6. If you are away for an extended period of time, put a plan in place to have your yard cared for, your grass mowed and the snow shoveled in front of your house.
7. Ask a neighbor to take your garbage cans out and bring them back in if you are away.
8. Set up timers on your window draperies.
9. Install motion detectors, inside and outside.
10. Keep bushes and shrubs near windows and doors trimmed and free of overgrowth.
11. Select shrubs and bushes with thorns to deter potential intruders.
12. Install a security alarm system on your house and garage and a peephole at your front door.
13. Lock all your doors and windows when you leave the house.
14. Do not hide spare keys outside your home.
15. Do not provide your house keys to service people.
16. Do not have money or jewelry lying in view of a window.
17. Do not divulge your daily routines to strangers.
18. If you are at home working outside, leave the other doors that are out of sight locked.
19. Do not tell others about valuables in your home.
20. Discuss home security with your children and teach them not to open the front door to strangers.
21. Keep valuables in a safety deposit box away from your home.
22. Unplug your garage door opener if you are leaving your home for an extended period of time.

Resources

Burglary of Retail Establishments. U.S. Department of Justice, Problem Oriented Guides for Police Series.

Retail burglaries are a problem for many communities. This guide discusses the factors that contribute to these kinds of burglaries and security precautions to take.

Burglary of Single-Family Houses. U.S. Department of Justice, Problem Oriented Guides for Police Series.

This guide addresses the problem of burglary in single family homes. It reviews risk factors, helps you analyze your problem and reviews responses to the problem.

Preventing Burglaries; How to Protect Your Home. National Neighborhood Watch Program.

This guide discusses the three D's of burglary prevention: Deter, Detect and Delay.

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