What Do Burglars Look For In A Target?

December 30th, 2022

If you own a home here in Youngstown, OH one of the things you hope for is a property that remains safe and undisturbed. A home should be a retreat, your personal space away from the troubles of the world, safe for yourself and your family.

Unfortunately, like other areas of the USA, Youngstown, OH is now a crime-free area, and incidents like break-ins and theft do happen. While the US is fortunate in that overall crimes such as theft have been dropping in recent years, that doesn’t mean that you can afford to relax. Thieves are always trying to select likely homes for robbery, but what are they looking for? Here’s how thieves target homes.

The Middle Of The Block

Thieves tend to ignore homes that are on the corners of a street because there is too much exposure. Thieves don’t like to take chances and prefer to assess a home’s vulnerability by examining the exterior, looking into windows, and testing potential points of entry. With a corner home, it’s too easy for passersby to spot this activity, but homes in the middle of the block hide these actions better.

Tall Plants

Because maintaining low visibility is essential, thieves will keep a lookout for properties with shrubs, bushes, and other tall plants. This makes it much easier for them to hide while stationary, giving them the luxury to watch a home and track the movements and daily schedules of the people inside. Homes that don’t have this type of foliage are less favored because it’s too easy for a resident to look outside and see someone in the yard.

Regular Absence

If there’s one thing, thieves love, it’s a reliable pattern. Some thieves will scout out a home and see if there is a discernible pattern to when the house has residents or not. In general, thieves tend to prefer robbing homes in the afternoon, when adults and children are more likely to be at work and school. However, any recurring pattern of absence will be noted by a patient thief and exploited.

Lack Of Security

Thieves are looking for the easiest time possible in robbing home. A home with no security systems affords them that, as they can enter, and, if they know the schedule of residents, have hours to search and remove high-value items like jewelry or electronics. However, the presence of security systems is a good deterrence. A camera system, for example, makes it impossible for thieves to casually assess a home now that they know their movements are being recorded.

In the same way, a sign indicating that a home has an alarm means that increased risk is now involved. Should the alarm go off, a security or police response is just minutes away, severely limiting the number of time thieves have to search and make off with high-value goods.

 If you live here in Youngstown, OH and you don’t want your home to be marked as an easy target for theft, we can help. Contact us and let us assess your home for its security potential.