Have you ever wanted to get inside a thief’s mind to know what he thinks when he looks at a home? Burglars and thieves can be divided into three general categories: professional thieves, those looking to begin a career in burglary, and petty criminals or drug users looking for easy money. Each of these three criminal types takes a different approach to breaking into a home and has their own way of viewing a potential target. Here’s how a drug user or a petty thief would go about breaking into your home.

Criminals looking for a career may be gang members or want to join a gang. They are usually looking for an easy way to make cash fast, and are usually operating under the guidance of a professional thief, a gang member, or a friend who has some experience in breaking and entering. Because they are being guided by someone who knows the basics of burglary, you can expect that they will do a little bit of legwork before choosing a target, although they won’t watch a home for weeks, like a true professional criminal might. Usually, they operate in a faster manner, doing a drive-by of the area to learn the approximate times the home will be unoccupied. Many of these criminals will park on an adjacent street before walking over to the house.

In general, these criminals have a less developed plan than the professional thieves. They may not know where to find the valuables in the house, and they may not even know to watch out for security alarms and other home safety features. The most obvious security measures are the ones that will deter these thieves. Keep your valuables out of plain sight by hiding them behind curtains or in a diversion safe. Invest in strong locks and security lighting to make your home more difficult to break into, especially for those who haven’t yet learned the tricks of the trade.

You can expect them to gain entry by prying the window open, or, if that can’t be done, simply breaking it. Upon entry, they will spend a few minutes looking for cash, jewelry, guns, and other very small and portable items, which they may carry out in a pillowcase. These criminals will keep what they want before selling the rest to friends, pawn shops, or anyone on the street willing to buy it. Take extra precautions to safeguard your medicine cabinet; these thieves are often on the prowl because they need drug money.

The final group of thieves, comprised of drug users and occasional petty thieves, are opportunists. There is no planning involved; they see a valuable item in plain view, they break a window, and they take it. Often known as “smash and grab,” they won’t spend more than a minute or two inside. These criminals are the same ones who will shoplift in any store where they can walk in, grab the product, and get out quickly. They will spend very little time on the theft, selling the stolen items as quickly as possible for some fast cash.

The beginning professional or petty thief thinks that they are being careful not to be seen, but they just aren’t as good at it as the true professional. While professionals expect to get caught about one percent of the time, the arrest ratio for this type of thief is about one in 20 break-ins, or even 1 in 10 for those stealing to pay for drugs. Even though they will be caught eventually, it is your responsibility to take the necessary precautions to protect your family, home, and property from burglars of every type, from the drug user to the professional.

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