Quick Facts - Burglary stats

ESA

What is considered a burglary…

Burglary is defined as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as a burglary. Burglary is categorized into three sub classifications: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report 2008

Burglary Facts and Statistics…

• Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters of all crime in the United States
• In 2008, there were an estimated 2,222,196 burglaries—an increase of 2.0 percent when compared with 2007 data.
• There was an increase of 3.6 percent in the number of burglaries in 2008 when compared with the 2004 estimate and an increase of 5.8 percent when compared with the 1999 estimate.
• Burglary accounted for 22.7 percent of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2008.
• Of all burglaries, 61.2 percent involved forcible entry, 32.3 percent were unlawful entries (without force), and the remainder (6.4 percent) were forcible entry attempts.  
• Victims of burglary offenses suffered an estimated $4.6 billion in lost property in 2008; overall, the average dollar loss per burglary offense was $2,079.
• Burglaries of residential properties accounted for 70.3 percent of all burglary offenses.

For more information, go to:  http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2008/offenses/property_crime/burglary.html Source:  Crime in the United States 2008, Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Investigation

 

Where Burglars Enter a House...

One survey in Pennsylvania showed that 81 percent of residential intrusions occur through the first floor.

34 percent of burglars entered through the front door; 23 percent through a first-floor window; 22 percent through the back door; 9 percent through the garage; 4 percent entered through a basement; 4 percent through an unlocked entrance; 2 percent through a storage area; and only 2 percent entered anywhere on the second floor. A study in Connecticut showed that 12 percent of burglaries occurred through an UNLOCKED door and that in 41 percent of alarmed homes that were burglarized, the security system was not turned on.