| Have you ever wondered what a thief is thinking | | | | value can be found there. The goal is to take cash |
| when he looks at your home? In general, burglars | | | | and anything that can easily be converted into cash. |
| and thieves can be divided into three categories. The | | | | Typical items stolen by a professional include guns, |
| first are professional, career criminals. The second are | | | | jewelry, and electronics. Professional thieves may |
| criminals looking for a career in thievery. The third | | | | watch your home for several weeks before breaking |
| category is drug users and impulsive criminals. Each of | | | | in, and they will know your routines, your lifestyle, |
| these three categories of criminals have their own | | | | and the layout of your home. Professional criminals |
| way of looking at potential targets. Here's how a | | | | might pose as a jogger, a salesman, or a repair |
| professional would go about breaking into your home. | | | | worker to gain information or even to enter your |
| Professional criminals tend to be very intelligent when | | | | home. |
| it comes to selecting potential targets. They are | | | | Although professional criminals are wary of being |
| looking for small and very profitable property that | | | | caught, they may spend several hours in the home. |
| can be sold quickly, and will avoid homes with a high | | | | They've already determined how long they have until |
| risk of being caught. A professional robber or scam | | | | the homeowner comes home, and will often drive a |
| artist may even relocate, change their method of | | | | delivery van and wear uniforms so that passerby |
| breaking in, or vary the type of items stolen to avoid | | | | assume that they are working for the homeowner |
| being caught. Still, some professional burglars have | | | | when they are moving belongings out of the home. |
| admitted that they expect to be caught occasionally, | | | | In fact, there are even stories of unsuspecting |
| perhaps one in every 100 break-ins, and even expect | | | | neighbors stopping to chat with a professional burglar |
| to do time in prison every now and again. | | | | during a home invasion. |
| Many professional criminals of this type claim that | | | | Many of these criminals have rationalized their |
| there is nothing they can't steal. Security systems | | | | behaviors and no longer see themselves as victimizing |
| and devices may delay their entry, but they have | | | | people. They may tell themselves that their behavior |
| the knowledge to make it inside regardless of your | | | | is acceptable because your homeowner's insurance |
| security measures. Still, if you have posted enough | | | | will cover the items taken, so they are really hurting |
| signage about your security features, they may | | | | the insurance companies, not the homeowner. |
| avoid your home entirely, since they certainly don't | | | | Despite this rationalization, having your home broken |
| want to get caught. The cheapest way to avoid | | | | into will have a huge emotional impact. In fact, many |
| becoming the target of professional thieves is to | | | | families say the biggest impact in the aftermath of a |
| install security lighting and surveillance cameras around | | | | robbery wasn't that the property was stolen, it was |
| the home. These professionals know to look for such | | | | the feeling of no longer being safe in their own home. |
| measures and are searching for homes that contain | | | | Protecting your family, your home, and your property |
| valuable items and are easy to break into | | | | is your responsibility. Make sure that you've taken the |
| undetected. | | | | necessary steps to avoid being targeted by |
| Before breaking in, the professional criminal often | | | | professional burglars. |
| does his research and already knows what items of | | | | |