There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding burglars and burglaries. We often think of home thefts as events that happen under the cover of darkness, when we close our eyes and are vulnerable to those who would do us harm. It makes sense to assume that most break-ins would occur at night.
Oddly enough, most burglaries happen during the daylight hours. Homes left empty by the traditional workday are prime targets for burglars looking for a quick buck. Read on to learn more about when burglars strike most, and ways you can combat them.
Break-In Breakdown – The Whens of Burglaries
Burglars are creatures of opportunity, not canny masterminds with intricate plans to steal a dragon’s hoard. They want an easy infiltration and escape from an empty house where no one will interrupt them. Sleeping occupants have a tendency to wake up at inconvenient times, so thieves prefer to strike when no one is home at all.
This happens most often when people are at work. That means the majority of burglaries occur between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. The prime break-in time is between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm, when most people have gone to work, and fewer people will come home for lunch, or home from school, to catch them.
Additionally, more burglaries occur during the summer as opposed to the winter. Turns out, warm weather is nice for more than your weekly beach trip!
What Attracts Burglars?
An empty house is the best house to break-in to. This means burglars, who often live within just a few miles of their targets, look for homes that both stand empty and have no deterrents such as security systems. They seek out homes with poor lighting, poor visibility from the street, and homes with apparent broken or old locks on the doors.
Burglars may watch the house for a while to see if anyone appears to be home. They might walk through the neighborhood, attempting to look innocent as they case homes on the block. They may ring the doorbell to test if anyone is home.
In fact, most burglars don’t even “break into” homes at all. The most common entry point is the front door, with back doors and first floor windows being the second most common points of entry, so your first line of defense is locked doors and windows. To ramp up your defenses even further, consider integrating a panel, like the IQ Panel 2, that automatically locks your smart door lock and alerts you if windows are open or unlocked once you leave a set geofence.
Good home security can send burglars packing. Burglars prefer to avoid homes with security systems and cameras installed, as they are much more risky targets.
Increase Your Security with SafeTouch
Preventing burglaries is all about making your home a difficult, unattractive target. SafeTouch Security has the expertise you need to give burglars a reason to keep walking past your house. Contact us for a free quote today!