To Beat a Burglar, You Need to Think Like One

Burglars are always out there. They are looking for vulnerable houses where they might find easy-to-sell valuables. The question you need to ask yourself is whether your home is an attractive target. Burglars definitely have an established ways of doing things. So if you know how they think, you can beat them at their own game.

To beat a burglar, you need to think like one. The good news is that you don’t have to guess. Just search online for what burgers actually say about their work. You’ll find tons of articles, including one published by KTVB in Boise, ID. KTVB surveyed actual burglars to find out what deterred them, what didn’t, what they were looking for when they did break in, and more. Their answers revealed a lot about how they think.

What They Want

First and foremost is what burglars want when they break in. They want anything they can sell or use quickly. Electronic gadgets and jewelry are at the top of the list of things to sell. Pawn shops readily take both types of goods. As for things that can be used quickly, you are looking at cash and credit cards. If it can be stuck in a pocket and be sold or used by the end of the day, it is a prime target.

As a side note, guns are pretty profitable on the street. If a burglar has any reason to believe guns are in a home – like seeing an NRA bumper sticker a few days earlier – they will turn the place upside down looking for guns.

Where They Look

A burglar who knows their stuff heads right to the master bedroom upon entry. If they have some extra time, looking through the rest of the house is always an option. Just note that burglars like to get in and out in under 10 minutes. The smartest among them will not spend a half-hour searching every nook and cranny.

How They Get In

The first thing burglars look for is an unlocked door or window. If none is found, they usually won’t hesitate to kick in the front door. Most front doors are not as secure as they appear. Furthermore, kicking a door draws less attention than breaking a window. People easily recognize the sound of breaking glass. Not so much with the sound of a door being kicked in.

How They Feel About Home Security

Burglars are generally deterred by home security unless they feel they have an opportunity to disable it. According to Vivint Smart Home, a good way to get the upper hand with home security is to install video surveillance cameras. They insist that burglars do not like video cameras, a point backed up by the KTVB survey.

Burglars also are not fond of alarms. They don’t like drawing attention to themselves, so anything that makes noise is problematic. That is yet another element in favor of home security systems. Install a system that makes quite a commotion and burglars are more likely to run.

How They Feel About Knocking on Doors

Finally, burglars have a tendency to knock on doors. They are trying to determine if anyone is home. They also want to know if there are any dogs in the house. Dogs are a big turn off because they make noise. The possibility of being bitten doesn’t help, either.

Burglars are an interesting lot. Learning to think like them makes it easier to beat them. Do yourself and your family favor and conduct a little research on burglars. You will learn a lot of interesting things.

Post Author: Michael Ryan