Burglary of Single-family Houses

Summary of Responses to Burglary of Single-Family Houses

The table below summarizes the responses to burglary of single-family houses, the mechanism by which they are intended to work, the conditions under which they ought to work best, and some factors you should consider before implementing a particular response. It is critical that you tailor responses to local circumstances, and that you can justify each response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy will involve implementing several different responses. Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing or solving the problem.

Situational Crime Prevention Responses
#	Response	How It Works	Works Best If...	Considerations
1	Installing burglar alarms	Increases burglars' risk of detection; deters burglars if alarms are overt; increases arrests if alarms are silent or covert	…triggered alarms are promptly investigated	Expensive; high percentage of false alarms; burglars may disable alarms or work quickly
2	Installing closed-circuit television (CCTV)	Deters many burglars; increases burglars' risk of detection and arrest	…cameras are well positioned and not easily disabled	Expensive, but costs are dropping; can be motion-activated; provides investigative evidence; complements burglar alarms
3	Hardening targets	Makes it more difficult for burglars to break in	…houses are not well secured	Deters opportunistic burglars; residents who need it the most may not be able to afford security measures
4	Marking property	Makes it more difficult for burglars to dispose of goods	…desirable property can be marked	Requires residents' participation and investigative follow-up; publicity increases the benefits
5	Increasing occupancy indicators	Gives burglars the impression that residents are home	…burglars are deterred by occupancy	Some burglars use tactics to confirm occupancy
6	Creating safe havens	Increases burglars' risk of detection through a combination of security measures	…perimeter and entry points can be controlled	Expensive; might displace burglaries to lower-income neighborhoods
7	Improving visibility	Increases burglars' risk of detection	…there is someone around to spot a burglar	Inexpensive; does not work if no one is around or if witnesses fail to act
8	Implementing Neighborhood Watch (NW) programs	Increases burglars' risk of detection	…there are well- established neighbor relations and residents can detect strangers	Difficult to ensure participation over time; residents must be at home during vulnerable periods
9	Modifying building codes	Makes it more difficult for burglars to break in	…residents and developers willingly comply with the codes	Not always expensive; the results are not immediate
10	Modifying community design	Increases burglars' risk of detection and makes it more difficult for them to break in	…design changes can be incorporated into new developments	May have a long-term impact
11	Reducing traffic access	Increases burglars' risk of detection	…burglars do not live in the neighborhood	May inconvenience residents
12	Reducing house access	Makes it more difficult for burglars to break in	…visibility cannot be enhanced	Can be tailored to individual properties
Victim-Oriented Responses
#	Response	How It Works	Works Best If...	Considerations
13	Protecting repeat victims	Decreases victims' risk of further burglaries, and increases burglars' risk of detection	…burglaries are concentrated at a few addresses, and strategies can be implemented quickly	Combines prevention and detection; cost-effective; targets the people who need help the most
Offender-Oriented Responses
#	Response	How It Works	Works Best If...	Considerations
14	Targeting repeat offenders	Increases burglars' risk of detection	…there is a small, identifiable group of chronic offenders	May include truancy programs, tracking probationers and others, or high-level surveillance
15	Disrupting stolen-property outlets	Makes it more difficult for burglars to dispose of goods	…the stolen goods are in high demand	Requires continued monitoring of markets for stolen goods
16	Providing substance abuse treatment	Helps offenders overcome their addiction, reducing their need to commit burglary to get money for drugs and/or alcohol	…effective programs can be developed and provided to chronic offenders	Expensive; may be difficult to target the right people
17	Improving initial police response and follow-up investigations	Increases burglars' risk of arrest	…the current police response is not adequate	May require an extensive review of police practices and resources; may be effective if strategic
Responses With Limited Effectiveness
#	Response	How It Works	Works Best If...	Considerations
18	Increasing criminal sanctions	Raises the penalties for burglary, and reduces its rewards	…burglars are chronic offenders	Can be tailored to individual properties
19	Providing generic crime prevention advice	Makes it more difficult for burglars to break in	…residents follow the advice	Difficult to target those who need it the most

Contents & Links

The Problem of Burglary of Single-Family Houses
Understanding Your Local Problem
Responses to the Problem of Burglary of Single-Family Houses
Summary of Responses
Endnotes
References
Related POP Projects

Summary of Responses to Burglary of Single-Family Houses

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Contents & Links