NCJ Number
42093
Date Published
1977
Length
48 pages
Annotation
IN THIS REPORT, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BURGLARY INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN SIX SEPARATE POLICE JURISDICTIONS OVER A ONE-YEAR PERIOD ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
DATA FOR THIS STUDY WERE DERIVED FROM A CRIME-SPECIFIC BURGLARY PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND OBTAINED FROM THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL STATISTICS. DURING THIS PERIOD, DATA WERE COMPILED ON 8,137 BURGLARY OFFENSES AND INCLUDED SUCH INFORMATION AS TYPE OF STRUCTURE BURGLARIZED, TIME OF DAY, DAY OF WEEK, AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL LOSS, AND SIMILAR FACTORS. IN THIS FIRST OF THREE REPORTS, ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO RECURRENT PATTERNS FOUND AMONG INCIDENT CHARACTERISTICS. MAJOR FINDINGS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: BURGLARY LOSSES WERE GENERALLY OF MODERATE VALUE AND INCLUDED GOODS EASILY CONVERTED INTO CASH; MOST BURGLARIES INVOLVED SOME DEGREE OF FORCIBLE ENTRY, WHICH WAS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN NONRESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES; AND RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES WERE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR DURING THE WEEK AND DURING THE DAY, WHILE NONRESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES WERE MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR ON WEEKENDS AND AT NIGHT. DETERRENT FEATURES SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING OR SECURITY INSPECTIONS WERE NOT FOUND TO BE RELATED TO THE PROBABILITY OF A BURGLARY BEING CLEARED OR TO WHETHER A BURGLARY WAS COMPLETED OR ONLY ATTEMPTED. WHEN STUDY FINDINGS WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF OTHER BURGLARY STUDIES, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BURGLARY INCIDENTS WERE FOUND TO BE SIMILAR REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)