8 Common Things Burglars Steal When They Break In | Safetouch Security Systems

8 Common Things Burglars Steal When They Break In

Burglar entering home to steal wallet.

A burglary can happen quicker than you might imagine. Studies indicate that burglars spend less than one minute breaking into your home. That’s fast! Once inside, they will generally spend less than ten minutes looting your belongings before they are out again.

Since they have very little time inside a home, most burglars have an eye trained to spot what will benefit them most, and tend to take things that are easy to transport. So what exactly do home intruders target when they break in?

  1. Clothing and Shoes. Your closet is a burglar’s personal shopper experience. Home intruders enjoy designer dresses and bags, high-end shoes, and even baby clothes. Why? Because they are easy to resell for cash and are difficult to trace.
  2. Intoxicating Substances. Do you enjoy good whiskey, or a well-aged bottle of wine? So do home intruders. A burglar who has broken into your house will often grab bottles of liquor on their way through the home. They will also help themselves to any prescription (or illegal) drugs they can find. These sell well and can make an intruder a hefty sum.
  3. Electronics. If a home intruder sees laptops, phones, or other electronics, they will happily steal them. Game consoles, tablets, and cameras are favorites as well. The most enterprising of home intruders will also remove televisions from walls, or grab a desktop computer for selling later.
  4. Keys. Why break in when they can walk in later? Burglars enjoy taking any conspicuous keys they can find. They can either return later for a second round of thefts, or sell the keys to other intruders who want to do the same.
  5. Jewelry. It’s probably no surprise that burglars adore jewelry. It is small, shiny, and easy to store in a pocket or bag while they case the rest of your home. Diamonds are especially popular, as are other precious gems and watches. If you have jewelry sitting out on your dressing table, a burglar will consider it an all-you-can-steal buffet.
  6. Art and Collectables. Most burglars are not high-end art thieves on an international heist, but they are opportunists who will take anything that might net them a few dollars. If you have vases, a coin collection, or art that looks original, a home intruder will take it off your hands.
  7. Your Identity. Identity theft is an expanding industry that grows larger every year. Credit card bills, old tax returns, vital records and personal data can all allow a burglar to break into your financial accounts and wreak havoc. They may even open new lines of credit with stolen social security numbers, which can leave you at best, incredibly inconvenienced as you dispute charges and file fraud claims, or at worst, on the hook for a devastating amount of debt.
  8. Cash. The number one item a burglar might look for is cold, hard cash. Cash cannot be traced, it spends everywhere, and it is easy to explain away if they are caught. Cash is the ultimate prize from any home intrusion.

SafeTouch Security Can Help Discourage Burglars

Before that one-minute break-in happens, there is a moment when a home intruder evaluates a home for the risk of being caught versus the reward of what he will find inside. Security systems provide a valuable deterrent for thieves looking for easy targets. Contact us today for a free quote on a system!