Across the nation, burglaries cost $4.6 billion in lost property in 2008 - an average of $2,079 per burglary, according to the FBI. And if you know anything about burglaries, you'll also know that victims are unlikely to get their stolen goods back.
Tucson Police Department reported 5,031 burglaries for 2009, down just slightly from 2008's 5,157. And burglars are more determined than ever, says police Community Service Officer Becky Noel.
"We're seeing more brazenness and a little more desperation," says Noel, who reports a surge in break-ins through front doors and security bars over the last year in Tucson.
So if burglars are getting more brazen, it's up to homeowners to be more alert. Here, with a little help from those close to the criminals, we explode some of the myths surrounding break-ins.
8 myths about break-ins (and what intruders have to say about them)
People are also reading…
1 They never come in through the front door.
The recession's hitting us as well, you know. Now that I have to pay more for my drugs, I'll find any way I can to break in. Security bars won't even stop me, and if you have some nice shade trees or - better still - a privacy wall out front, I'm there. Your lock is only as good as your door surround, so here's my advice: Get a nice solid doorjamb with a heavy-duty strike plate and 3-inch screws that go deep into the studs.
2If they've broken in once already, chances are they won't again.
You couldn't be more wrong about that one. In fact, if I wait a few months until you've made your insurance claim and replaced the items I stole last time, there are rich pickings to be had again.
3 They'll only go for the big electronic stuff.
I'll take any item I can pawn or sell at a swap meet or yard sale: TVs, laptops, stereos, CDs, jewelry, guns. I once knew a guy who used to "revisit" the same home over and over (he still had a key from being a gardener. When the family moved away, the new one didn't want him, but they didn't want new locks, either). He'd revisit and take just one thing each time. The homeowners probably just thought they were misplacing stuff.
4They're hitting places when they're empty.
Not always. How many times have you left your garage or carport door open while you're in the house? Maybe you took a break from some yardwork or car repairs. And that open door or gate showed off all your shiny tools and that new bike your kid got from Santa. I was in and out in a minute.
5They'll stay away from well-lighted homes.
Sure, we don't like to be seen. But be careful about your lighting. If it's low enough on the porch or garage, I can stretch up and unscrew it, or pop out the bulb.
6They'll go only for the well-heeled neighborhoods.
Nope. Like you, we're happy in familiar surroundings. The huge, swanky homes freak us out a little. And if the neighborhood's a little run-down, it's a sign the neighbors are probably careless with the upkeep of their yards or their homes. Overgrown shrubs and broken window latches make my job a whole lot easier.
7Just having that Neighborhood Watch sign is a deterrent.
It's going to make me think twice, but I'm worried only if I know you're active with your Neighborhood Watch. Here's a tip: I may tag an old sign on your street, or stick some stickers on it, and leave it for a while. If nobody can be bothered to clean up that sign, that tells me they can't be bothered looking out for each other, either.
8Burglaries aren't planned. they're opportunistic.
You think I wasn't listening to you on the phone last week planning your vacation, while I was sweeping up your leaves? And we help each other. Your "reliable" tradesman may be passing on tips to me about when you're out, and then sharing in the proceeds.
Tip: Instinct goes a long way when dealing with tradespeople or contractors you're unfamiliar with, says the Tucson Police Department. The TPD's Noel says she's used non-licensed and non-bonded tradespeople herself in the past. It's just a matter of feeling secure with them, she says. They should know it's not good etiquette to use your bathroom, for example. Her advice? Go for people who've been recommended by friends and neighbors.
More advice from a burglar:
• I hate friendly neighborhoods. If I move into your street and you're coming around with a casserole or telling me about your Neighborhood Watch, I'll be out of there again as fast as you can say "gotcha." Pickings are slim in a place where people know each other's business.
• I love desert-friendly yards. Give me some overgrown cactus or shade trees over manicured shrubs any day. It's easier for me to hide, you see.
• You need to learn to keep your mouth shut. It amazes me how many people chat openly about going on vacation, or that new job that will take them away on business - either in conversations or on their Facebook page.
• Sometimes it's just a power thing for us. I know a kid who used to break into people's houses just to rearrange the furniture. It kept them guessing, he said, wondering what he took (which often was nothing).
• Home-security systems are a big turn-off. No surprise there. But if your sign is lying broken in your yard, that tells me you're not using it, so it's not a deterrent anymore.
• I don't like hurting myself. If I get a cut trying to break in, that's DNA for the cops. And barking dogs I can do without. I hate them more than the nosy neighbors.
• I love these old midtown neighborhoods, the ones where they keep those quaint casement windows. Sometimes the homeowners are smart enough to take off the cranks. Most of the time they're silly enough to leave the cranks lying right next to the window.
SOURCES: Tucson Police Department and Richard Wright, criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St Louis and author of "Burglars on the Job."
Did you know?
Burglary rates are directly related to the price of copper. Copper piping is easily stolen, and therefore copper prices are one of the best predictors of burglary rates, says Richard Wright, professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St Louis.
Start a neighborhood watch
For advice on starting up a Neighborhood Watch group, plus tips on home security, go to http://tpdinternet.tucsonaz.gov/CrimePrevention/
"My active Neighborhood Watch groups do not have issues at all (with burglaries)." - Becky Noel, community service officer, Tucson Police Department.