Criminal

Investigation

eighth edition

THIRTEEN
Burglary Investigation

Swanson Chamelin Territo

McGraw-Hill

2003, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Be familiar with different types of burglars

Describe appropriate responses to burglaries in progress
Recognized burglary tools
Explain several methods of attacking safes
Identify types of evidence to be collected in safe
burglaries
Describe the characteristics of residential burglaries
Understand the investigator's burglary prevention role
Outline strategies for investigating criminal fences and
other stolen-property outlets
Describe techniques for reducing the risk for commercial
burglary

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DIMENSIONS OF BURGLARY NATIONALLY

One is committed every 15 seconds
Two-thirds of all burglaries are of residences
Residential losses average $1,381 and
nonresidential $1,615
Nationally, 64 percent of all burglaries involve
forcible entries
In general, residences are attacked at front and
businesses at the rear
Burglaries typically happen when premises are
unoccupied

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DIMENSIONS OF BURGLARY (cont'd)

Homes are usually burglarized during the day
and businesses at night
There is little seasonal variation in burglaries
Burglary is a difficult crime to solve
The clearance rate nationally is 13 percent

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TYPES OF BURGLARS
The nature of burglary has stayed the same over
time
How burglaries are committed has changed
Burglars may be classified according to:
Preferences for premises attacked
Types of property they will steal
Their skill level

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PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR BURGLARS

Professional burglars:

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plan their burglaries

are seldom arrested
steal large value items
commit only a few offenses per year

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PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR BURGLARS

(cont'd)
Amateur burglars:

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Seldom plan their burglaries

Are frequently arrested
Work in small segments of their city
Seldom have a big score
May commit other violent offenses if confronted
Often have lengthy arrest records

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THE LAW
The crime of burglary generally consists of the
following elements:
breaking and entering
a dwelling house or other building belonging to
another
with the intent to commit a crime therein

Burglary and related offenses are classified as

crimes against the habitation, dwelling, or
building itself; no force need be directed against
a person

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APPROACHING THE BURGLARY SCENE AND

INITIAL ACTIONS
When responding to a burglary-in-progress call,
uniformed officers should drive rapidly while
avoiding excessive noise
When dispatched to a burglary-in-progress call,
the uniformed officer working alone should
attempt to coordinate his or her arrival time and
position with the backup unit
If a burglary has been committed and the police
department has a canine unit, the uniformed
officer at the scene should request its presence
prior to entering the building

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BURGLARY TOOLS
These tools are often similar to household tools:
crowbars
screwdrivers
modified tools used as lockpicks

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SURREPTITIOUS ENTRIES
When police cannot establish a point of entry or
exit, the burglary entry is surreptitious. It may
have been staged by the occupant, a thief who
obtained a duplicate key, loiding, or lock picking.

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FIRE RESISTANT SAFE

Characteristics of these safes include:
They are built to protect against fire
They are made of light metal
They provide minimal security

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MONEY CHEST
Characteristics of the money chest include:
They are built to protect against burglary
They have thick walls and a strong round door
They provide reasonably good security

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METHODS OF ATTACKING SAFES

Burglars use a variety of methods to attack safes
including:

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The punch
Pulling
The peel
The rip
Blasting
Drilling
Burning
Manipulation
The pry
The carry off

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EVIDENCE TO BE COLLECTED IN SAFE BURGLARY

Types of evidence an investigator may collect in

safe burglary cases include:
Broken parts of burglary tools
Bold cutters from the suspect's home
Slag seized at the scene of a burning job

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EVIDENCE TO BE COLLECTED IN SAFE BURGLARY

(cont'd)
DNA evidence from burglars sweat bands or blood left
at the scene
Latent fingerprints at the scene
Particles of safe insulation on the burglar's person or
clothes

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CHARACTERISTICS OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

Residential burglaries are primarily committed
during the day, with the front door being the
point of attack
Black homeowners are victimized at a higher
rate than any other group
The younger the head of a household is, the
more likely that the residence will be burglarized
The losses associated with residential burglaries
are not intrinsically significant

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HOME BURGLARY LOSSES

Most residential
burglaries result in
relatively low amounts
of value lost
Most of the low
amount-lost burglaries
are committed by
amateurs
Even low amount-lost
burglaries can create
fear in homeowners

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Amount of Loss
No loss
Less than $50
$50-$99
$100-$249
$250-$499
$500-$999
$1,000 or more
Not known/not available

Percentage of
Burglaries
3.1%
13.8
7.8
19.1
12.0
8.5
21.3
14.5

(Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization in the

United States-1999 (Washington, DC: U.S> Department of Justice,
2001) p. 75, table 83.)

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PROPERTY FREQUENTLY TAKEN FROM RESIDENCES

Many items taken in

burglaries are found
in the owner's
bedroom
Garages and storage
sheds are often the
locations of larger
property stolen for
fences

Type of Property
Cash
Purse, wallet, credit cards
Vehicles or parts
(including bicycles)
Household furnishings
Portable electronics,
photography gear, jewelry,
clothing
Firearms
Tools, machinery
Total

Percentage of
Burglaries
6.5%
2.6
4.5
10.5
28.0
2.1
7.9
62.1%

(Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization in the

United States-1999 (Washington, DC: U.S> Department of Justice,
2001) p. 89, table 84.)

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FENCES
Those who knowingly purchase stolen goods at
a fraction of its actual worth and then resell it for
a considerable profit, but still at a good deal to
the buyer

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TYPES OF FENCES
There are numerous types of fences
Amateurs
Store owners and individuals who often only but the
goods for which they have placed an order with the
thief
Professionals
Occasional or opportunistic fences
Providers of illicit goods and services
Technology proficient thieves and fences who do their
business on the internet

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TYPES OF FENCES (cont'd)

The police know that the more that receiver markets
can be disrupted or eliminated, the greater the
likelihood that there will be some reduction in burglary
Police sting operations are an effective means of:

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combating fences
identifying active criminals
penetrating criminal organizations
recovering property

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STING OPERATION
An effective means of combating fences,
undercover officers set up a legitimate appearing
business or other type of location in which they
slowly gain a reputation of being a fence.
Transactions are videotaped. Property is
recovered, other fences are identified, and
ultimately thieves began talking openly about
criminal matters, creating an important
intelligence source.

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PAWN SHOPS
Pawnshops are seen by many as part of fencing
operations
Some cities have passed laws to help regulate pawn
shops
Those same laws help to reduce the number of
pawnshops acting as fences

D. Boone/Corbis

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THE INVESTIGATORS ROLE IN BURGLARY PREVENTION

Investigators should tell the burglary victim how

to reduce their chances of being re-victimized
For example, if residents are going on vacation
they should:
Stop mail and newspaper delivery
Use timers for household lights and radios
Ask a trusted neighbor to report suspicious activity to
the police

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THE INVESTIGATORS ROLE IN BURGLARY PREVENTION

(cont'd)

For day-to-day home security residents should

be encouraged to:

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Install motion-sensor lights

Install dead-bolt locks
Avoid placing valuables where they can be seen
Dont leave ladders or tools laying around

13-20(b)

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REDUCING COMMERCIAL BURGLARY

Business owners should be encouraged to:
Prevent easy access to their roofs
Secure all vents and roof openings
Use security-providing locks, frames, and doors

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REDUCING COMMERCIAL BURGLARY

(cont'd)

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Light the exterior of their buildings

Employ alarm systems and surveillance cameras
Use money chests rather than fire-resistant safes
Periodically assess their office security measures

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