Colleyville, Texas

Recently, some residents asked how a criminal picks targets to burglarize.  After giving it some thought, I commented with one of the standard answers given by public safety and security personnel..."The burglar looks for targets of opportunity."  OK, that sounded about right, but it got me to thinking, so I did some research on how a burglar actually picks his targets.

The table below is the result of research performed in a national study a few years ago.  The surveyors interviewed hundreds of burglars already convicted and in prison. Their answers and the percentage of people answering are shown in the table.  The phrase "targets of opportunity" really had several meanings, as you can note in the table.

One of the interesting factors was the variety of reasons given.  You will note "poor security, unoccupied, isolated/quiet, and chance."  Each of these reasons can be countered by you, the resident, by HARDENING THE TARGET against a burglary.  How do I HARDEN THE TARGET?  You already know how, but let us list a few things:

These are just a few items.  We have many detailed crime prevention tips for residents.  These have been published over the last several years, and people are still asking for copies.    If you or your neighbors are interested in more detailed information, please email your request to us and we'll be pleased to send them out to you.

Well, there you have a brief summary of some crime prevention issues that you face every day. Remember, you share a responsibility with public safety agencies to protect your home and property. DO SOMETHING NOW to protect your home and car.