To wonder how often burglars actually are violent?

[Yuip]

Several years ago I was burgled when sharing a house with roommates at uni.

All of us had gone out that night (separately). I was first to return and found the door had been broken in with a crowbar (police said crowbar I guess they could tell) and the lock and door broken. Our stuff was taken and nothing was ever found.

Ive always been scared about burglary since I was a child but this has really played on my mind ever since.

We were all out when it happened but I very nearly did not go out that night. I had a terrible headache and strongly considered lying in the dark in bed. It was only slight chance that I decided on going out.

Through my life I've heard people say that burglars are usually cowards and when confronted they will run off. People have told me that they must have been watching the house and knew we were all out.

I'm not sure if I believe that. Were they really watching closely enough to see the comings and going of all four of us who lived very separate lives? If the other three were out and I'd been in bed in the dark with no lights on is it not likely they would have assumed us all out?

An opportunist is one thing - going in through an open window or trying a door to see if it's unlocked and getting in and out quickly. But bringing a crowbar and breaking a locked door down with it makes me suspect that if they'd come across me in my room that they would have become violent.

Since having DS a year ago this worry has become worse and it's a level of anxiety that is starting to affect me. DS is still in our room and one of the reasons I'm reluctant to move him is that where his bedroom would be, an intruder would reach before reaching ours. I don't want to be a mother who puts her fears onto my child but I'm also terrified at the thought of anyone entering the house and into his room.

I have tried looking into deterrents. I know people say to get a dog but I worry that the type of people who would be violent would hurt a dog too. There's also the fact that DS is still young for us to get a dog and we rent so the landlord is unlikely to allow it.

I have started looking into ring doorbells but they seem quite difficult to fit and I'm not sure it's the most suitable option when renting especially as we don't plan on staying long term.

I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone with experience eg police officers. Especially in how often burglaries are violent etc. Whether it is likely that they really did know for sure I was out that night. Is it common to watch the house so closely to know where everyone is? We lived in a cul de sac at the time so if so I guess it is likely it was one of our direct neighbours.

Also interested in other peoples thoughts and experience, whether you think IABU to be very anxious about this.

I have experience working with offenders and many burglars are drug addicts getting what they can to fund a habit. The vast majority are not typically violent or go in with any intention to be violent but someone on drugs is not necessarily going to react rationally if they feel threatened. So I think the vast majority are non violent opportunistic crimes where they are likely to enter when someone isn’t there, but I certainly would never advise confronting an intruder. They most likely will just run off but it isn’t worth the risk.

I was burgled at uni when we were home and it was upsetting but doesn’t affect me now. My housemate was traumatised as he went into her bedroom when she was sleeping so obviously much scarier but when she shouted he did just run off. I don’t think your level of fear is rational and so would take steps to address that. Whether it’s talking to a professional or getting some sort of home security for peace of mind.

There is also good reason uni students or similar are often targeted - unis are often in cities, students are often out on the town, and they often have expensive easy to steal belongings (laptops etc.) and live in cheap parts of town…even criminals have a moral code and are less likely to target a house with kids. They also know they are more likely to get a longer sentence if they did. Burglary is usually non violent but repeat offenders and where violence is used the sentences are really lengthy.

There is a link between burglary and sex offending, in that sex offenders often have previous convictions for burglary.

There's a similar link with drink driving and domestic abuse offending, i.e., that domestic abusers often have pre-cons for drink driving.

(previously worked with offenders, it's important to know these patterns)

I woke up in the night years ago now, to someone kicking in my door and it did get violent, luckily I’d rang the police as soon as I realised what was happening and they arrived quick.
fucked me up for several years in terms of sleeping and just feeling safe even after I’d moved.
Things I’ve done to feel safe over the years are ring (or other brands) doorbell and cameras, they’re aren’t at all difficult to fit and I have a house alarm with lots of sensors etc, I know it won’t necessarily stop a thief but I’d like to have more advanced warning!

Round here the break ins tend to be for keys to certain types of cars. DP had a violent break in before we lived together, they kicked down his front door and threatened him with a machete for his keys. He was pretty traumatized and wanted to move for a bit. They used his Audi in a bank robbery soon after and he got it back.

The gang responsible were later caught and jailed - they’d been operating across the M62 corridor, Manchester and Leeds. I remember an article saying car crime in the region had plummeted as a result.

@Scampuss whilst that is absolutely true, there are a hell of a lot more burglars of strangers than sex offenders of strangers overall. So you are a lot more likely to be a victim of a random break in where someone steals something than the random victim of a sex offence.

Same as with violence. Much more likely to suffer violence at the hands of someone known to you than by a stranger.

Attempted burglary here whilst I was in the house during the day. They had a weapon that they were using to attempt to gain access. I called 999 and hid in a barricaded room until the police arrived (I had already confronted the offender when investigating the noise and he’d gone before they got there)

the detective investigating told me my experience was extremely rare and in his 20 years he had only come across one other instance like that and the woman had done the same thing as me.

Also, burglars know that if they hurt someone then it becomes a much more serious crime and they are much more likely to be caught. They will do everything they can to avoid a confrontation as then it is unlikely that the police will even investigate the burglary.

From knowing quite a few people burgled in the area, it seems to be the higher net worth/wealthier houses are more far more violent/when families are home. These are usually armed and physical. The smaller houses tends to be when they’re out. Perhaps a smaller scale operation?

I wonder whether burglary deserves the death penalty.

A ring doorbell, good locks on solid doors, a burglar alarm with a panic button. Take your mobile to bed with you in case they cut the phone line, locks on all windows, cameras & lights with motion sensors. If you go out, have lights on smart plugs or linked to Alexa or Google that go on & off, a radio playing, anything that shows someone is in, even a beware of the dog sign will put burglars off.

Trying to imagine myself as a burglar....I would make damn sure the place was empty first. I mean knocking at the door ringing the door, banging on the door. I wouldn't attempt a burglary unless I were 100% sure nobody was in. And if by some miracle none of that woke you up I would scarper upon hearing a floorboard. Burgling seems like a high risk low reward scenario especially in the digital age. Theres probably much more money to be made pickpocketing in a busy bar or honing the art of the online scam.
I don't think somebody breaking in would try to kill you. However whenever I have stayed in my house alone at night, I have moved a box (eg a delivery cardboard box with some heavy stuff in) in front of my door. Sounds really old school but my logical is
A) for them to manoeuvre past that box is an extra layer of noise that could wake me ans
B) hopefully they would say to themselves "ah, someone's in, let's forget jt"

Beware of the dog sign is a great shout! I don’t generally worry about being burgled but on the odd occasion I’m laying in bed wondering if I locked the door, I don’t worry about it too much as I know my dog will go off it’s tits if anyone steps foot in our garden.

We were burgled in the middle of the night. The kids were both very young at the time and still remember it to this day. Weirdly my husband was alerted to the fact there were burglars in the house as the cat jumped up on the bed and put his paws on his face. We shut the upstairs off to the cat at night so that is how we knew. Burglars ran when they heard movement from upstairs.

My grandmother was burgled when she was in her mid-80s. She was not long recovered from hip surgery too. They got in through the bathroom window and she heard them and got out of bed and met one of them in the hall. She told us she shouted "get out!" at him and he went into the kitchen grabbing her purse which was unfortunately on the table and had about £60 in then left. The other guy must've got out then too. Thankfully they didn't hurt her.

She used to keep loads of cash in the house (and still did even after this happened) and omg if they'd found all that they would've got 2 grand at least!

I was amazed at her bravery but it really shook her up not surprisingly and my mum had to stay overnight for weeks. Bastards.

I’ve been burgled twice and the first time I met the burglar coming down the stairs with my TV. I was naturally terrified but looking back he was a gangly teenager. The second time was in a different address and it happened while I was out ( we got a lot of stuff back). As a police officer ive investigated plenty but very few happened with the occupants in the house. The one I remember where there was a firearm used was one gang stealing drugs and cash from another gang. ( they did not tell me about the drugs but did report it which I thought was hilarious ). You don’t actually hear about burglaries much now… I think efforts are probably more towards online frauds and phishing.

has anyone asked this question in chatgpt as it has a massive data set to gain information from ?

I have only been burgled once- they hit the outdoor shed and took the pressure washer when we were all asleep. I think most would avoid coming into a house to be honest. It's probably worth noting the theft was in one of the more upmarket places I've lived- I think with the poor areas they aren't worth the trouble of breaking in unless its a known drug house.

I completely understand. I was upstairs in the house when someone broke through our front door and I shouted out and they ran off.

It was an incident that was nothing really but I was very shook up about it. I put in a few security measures - including a ring door bell (very easy to install and uninstall) a camera around the side entrance and sensor lights and a monitored alarm.

The Garda (police) who called round told me the vast majority of burglars are opportunistic and want to get in and out quickly. They could likely see the keys to the car through our kitchen window and told me keeping the blinds down is a good deterrent.

the extra security stuff I put in helps me feel safe. So I highly recommend doing something that helps you feel more secure and then you can move on.

We’ve a dog now that would lick any robber to death! Definitely the worst reason to get a dog. A dog that would definitely attack a burglar is not a dog you would want around your children.

like you I have always been scared of a potential break in. I guess I slightly lived in a naive little bubble though and thought bad people didn’t really exist around where I stay. My parents home was broken into last year, they live locally to us. It’s a question that always plays on my mind, as to whether they’d have been violent if confronted. My dad isn’t someone who would have sat back and allowed them to leave with his stuff if he had woken up and we believe there were 3 or 4 of them so in a way I am relieved that he didn’t wake up to confront them. They silently managed to cut the lock on the door and their dog didn’t even hear. They have a house alarm but it wasn’t set. I question too whether they’d have ran if an alarm had gone as they opened the door or if they were bold enough to continue anyway.

It wasn’t my house but I grew up there and felt so violated by the whole thing. We really upped our security and have cameras on all external doors. I put off putting our baby into his own room as the window on the room is one that opens out the way and would be big enough for someone to enter via. We have a dog luckily and he is very good at barking loudly, whether that would actually scare them off or not I’m not sure but I think at least if they were to try to sneak about during the day to plan it my dog would surely be a deterrent. The one thing we don’t have is an alarm on all doors or windows though but we don’t plan to stay in our house for too much longer so felt it was a huge expense. Our cameras set off an alarm on our phones if a person is detected in our garden so that does reassure me. The thing that still gets me is the way they silently cut the lock though and I think how easy that would be to do to my back door! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I hate if I have to stay myself now if my husband is ever working away and prefer the kids to be in my room so that if something happened I wouldn’t have to run and get them

Also I think there is less worth any value second hand in houses now. Most valuable things are in a garage or they’d be coming for your car keys. Cash or jewellery is the only other thing but probably quite a challenge to find. I now hide my car keys every night either under a hat or somewhere out of sight of the front door but close to it so that if anyone was to come in I could just give them the keys and they’d hopefully get out

I work in the prosecution area and burglary doesn’t make my list of fears. Top fear for me is getting taken out by a drunk or reckless driver