Definition | “A person commits the offense of BURGLARY when, without authority, and with the intent to commit a felony or theft therein, he enters or remains within the dwelling house of another or other building…” GA Code 16-7-1 |
Frequency | Last year in Gwinnett County, over 2,500 burglaries were reported. One third of these were non-forced entry, meaning that 1 out of 3 premises were left unsecured while persons were away. |
Clearance Rate | The average of solvability rate for burglary is usually 10-20%. There are two main reasons for this: insufficient evidence left at the scene and lack of witnesses, as most burglaries are coimmitted during the day when people are at work. A burglar gets away with his crime 80 times out of 100. |
Profile | There are two common types of residential burglars. The most common in Gwinnett is a white male, 20-35 years of age with a drug habit. The second most common is a white male, 12-16 years of age. Daytime burglars like to hit when no one is at home, because they do not want a confrontation. However, if they are cut off from an escape route or physically threatened, they can and will often become violent. |
Enemies of a Burglar | Burglars like to operate quickly, quietly and without being seen, so home security is based upon causing the burglar to have to take more TIME, make more NOISE and risk BEING OBSERVED. |
The 4 “D”s of Crime Prevention | Crime prevention measures are intended to DETER the criminal from attacking (alarm signs, C.O.P.S. sign); DETECT him if he does attack (alarm systems, surveillance cameras, concerned C.O.P.S. neighbors); DELAY him so that chances of apprehension before achieving his objective are increased (steel safes, reinforced locks and strike plates); DENY him access to particular targets (keeping seldom worn heirloom jewelry in a safety deposit box). |
Inventory | It is very important to mark and keep a record of your valuables. For particularly expensive items and items that cannot be engraved, such as jewelry, you should make a video recording of them. |