Neighbourhood Support

Burglar Profile

Courtesy from Victim Support "Reducing the risk of burglary"

To help you make your property and possessions safer from the risk of burglary, it is useful to know how a burglar thinks and operates. The New Zealand Police have provided the following information as a general overview of a burglar

How a Burglar thinks and operates

I am generally a young male
I mostly burgle houses during the day
I also like to burgle houses during the early evening when I can see that no one is home. Your lights are'nt on when everyone else has theirs on
I'm often on foot
People often see me as I walk or drive around your streets and although I sometimes act suspiciously very few people ring the Police

Why do I pick your place

I like houses where it seems no one is home
I like houses where a window is open
I like houses where people can't see me climbing into windows from the street
I like houses where the garage doors are open, I can see that your car is not there, and there is something valuable inside, such as your lawnmower
I like houses I have been to before

What do I do?

I am usually looking for cash or things that I can quickly covert into cash
I usually sell stolen property to people who like to buy things cheaply
I often go into a property and knock on the door to see if anyone is home
If someone is home I normally, make up an excuse for being there, for example, I am looking for my dog
I try to get in and out of your home as quickly as possible
Sometimes I hide property from your home nearby and come and get it later

What don't I like?

houses with burglar alarms
nosey neighbours
dogs
houses with good locks and well-secured windows

What helps catch me?

being able to give the Police your serial numbers of stolen property
doing some "leg-work" yourself such as checking second-hand dealers

For further information, contact your local Victim Support Group. Your local police station will know how to get hold of Victim Support or phone 0800 VICTIM (0800 842846)