Most burglaries occur between 10 AM and 3PM (after most people leave for work and before kids get home from school)

The typical house burglar is a male teen-ager who lives within a couple of miles of your home. The chance of being victimized by a professional thief is low. Frequent entry points for home burglaries are windows and garage doors. If it takes more than a few minutes to pry open a door or window, the burglar often gives up.

Burglars spend an average of 8 to 12 minutes in your home. The master bedroom is usually the first place hit because most people keep their valuables there. Their favorite items to steal are: cash, jewelry, electronic equipment, silver, guns and other items that are easy to sell on the street or "hock" at a pawnshop.

FACTS

In the USA, a burglar occurs every 8 seconds.

On average, 1 out of every 6 homes will be burglarized this year.

Half of all burglaries take place without forced entry. In many cases the burglar used a "key".

One study showed that 12 percent of burglaries occurred through an unlocked door.

Homes without security systems are about 3 times more likely to be broken into than homes with security systems. (Actual statistics range from 2.3 times to 3.1 times, depending on the value of the homes).