| Have you ever wanted to get inside a thief's mind to | | | | especially for those who haven't yet learned the |
| know what he thinks when he looks at a home? | | | | tricks of the trade. |
| Burglars and thieves can be divided into three general | | | | You can expect them to gain entry by prying the |
| categories: professional thieves, those looking to | | | | window open, or, if that can't be done, simply |
| begin a career in burglary, and petty criminals or drug | | | | breaking it. Upon entry, they will spend a few |
| users looking for easy money. Each of these three | | | | minutes looking for cash, jewelry, guns, and other |
| criminal types takes a different approach to breaking | | | | very small and portable items, which they may carry |
| into a home and has their own way of viewing a | | | | out in a pillowcase. These criminals will keep what |
| potential target. Here's how a drug user or a petty | | | | they want before selling the rest to friends, pawn |
| thief would go about breaking into your home. | | | | shops, or anyone on the street willing to buy it. Take |
| Criminals looking for a career may be gang members | | | | extra precautions to safeguard your medicine |
| or want to join a gang. They are usually looking for | | | | cabinet; these thieves are often on the prowl |
| an easy way to make cash fast, and are usually | | | | because they need drug money. |
| operating under the guidance of a professional thief, | | | | The final group of thieves, comprised of drug users |
| a gang member, or a friend who has some | | | | and occasional petty thieves, are opportunists. There |
| experience in breaking and entering. Because they are | | | | is no planning involved; they see a valuable item in |
| being guided by someone who knows the basics of | | | | plain view, they break a window, and they take it. |
| burglary, you can expect that they will do a little bit | | | | Often known as "smash and grab," they won't spend |
| of legwork before choosing a target, although they | | | | more than a minute or two inside. These criminals are |
| won't watch a home for weeks, like a true | | | | the same ones who will shoplift in any store where |
| professional criminal might. Usually, they operate in a | | | | they can walk in, grab the product, and get out |
| faster manner, doing a drive-by of the area to learn | | | | quickly. They will spend very little time on the theft, |
| the approximate times the home will be unoccupied. | | | | selling the stolen items as quickly as possible for |
| Many of these criminals will park on an adjacent | | | | some fast cash. |
| street before walking over to the house. | | | | The beginning professional or petty thief thinks that |
| In general, these criminals have a less developed plan | | | | they are being careful not to be seen, but they just |
| than the professional thieves. They may not know | | | | aren't as good at it as the true professional. While |
| where to find the valuables in the house, and they | | | | professionals expect to get caught about one |
| may not even know to watch out for security | | | | percent of the time, the arrest ratio for this type of |
| alarms and other home safety features. The most | | | | thief is about one in 20 break-ins, or even 1 in 10 for |
| obvious security measures are the ones that will | | | | those stealing to pay for drugs. Even though they will |
| deter these thieves. Keep your valuables out of plain | | | | be caught eventually, it is your responsibility to take |
| sight by hiding them behind curtains or in a diversion | | | | the necessary precautions to protect your family, |
| safe. Invest in strong locks and security lighting to | | | | home, and property from burglars of every type, |
| make your home more difficult to break into, | | | | from the drug user to the professional. |