NCJ Number
193471
Date Published
2000
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This chapter deals with some of the known factors of burglary and the numerous spatial features of this crime’s locational patterns.
Abstract
Burglary is a crime against a place or property rather than against a person. Burglary is divided into the subclassifications of forcible entry, unlawful entry without the use of force, and attempted forcible entry. It is a crime for which the penalties, risks, fear, expense, and frequency are all high. Interest in understanding how burglary’s spatial patterns can lead to possible prevention is also high. Cities with the highest rates of burglary present a pattern similar to that for cities with the highest murder rates. They are concentrated in eastern and western coastal belts and in a midwestern cluster. The geographic concentration of incidents is apparent on a statewide basis, with a division of highest incidents in States from Arizona through North Carolina. The prevalence of long, warm summers in these areas, with a correspondingly higher number of days with open windows and outdoor activity, might be an explanatory factor. The best approach to predicting place vulnerability combines individual and community characteristics. Young, unmarried males experience the highest rates of victimization. Burglaries of residential property usually occur by entry through a door. Visibility or “surveillability” is the key factor affecting susceptibility of a structure to burglary. Areas of highest unemployment and transience are key burglary sites. Lowest rates are guarded entry areas, where security guards, dogs, or alarm systems present obstacles to entry. Homes with children or elderly residents also seem to provide deterrence. Suburban burglaries are characterized by planning rather than passion. Situational opportunities aside, sites falling along a home-work-leisure path are the most likely targets. Timing patterns vary depending on the occupation pattern of residents. Apprehended burglars are overwhelmingly males under the age of 25. 6 figures, 19 references