Definition of Burglary
Burglary is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 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 burglary.” The FBI recognizes three distinct types of burglary: (1) forcible entry, (2) unlawful entry where no force is used, and (3) attempted forcible entry. Burglary is one of three major property crimes counted by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, along with larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft.
Data on Burglary
The two major sources of burglary data in the United States are the UCR and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The UCR is a nationwide law enforcement effort coordinated by the FBI that provides annual crime statistics on the city, county, and state levels through the voluntary submission of statistics by agencies across the country. The Bureau of Justice Statistics produces the NCVS estimates of the number of households victimized each year by surveying a nationally representative sample of households. Thus, the NCVS provides a valuable alternative to the UCR on crime whether or not the crimes are reported to the police. Like crime in general, and specifically other types of property crime, both sources show a sharp decline in burglary during the last several decades. However, even though burglary has experienced a sharp decline, it remains a persistent problem.
In 2003, the UCR estimated that 2,153,464 burglaries occurred, a 0.1% increase from the 2002 estimate of 2,151,252. Despite the slight increase in burglaries between 2002 and 2003, the burglary rate per 100,000 citizens experienced a slight decrease. The burglary rate in 2003 was 740.5. For 2003, 62.4% of burglaries were forcible entry burglaries, 31.2% were unlawful entry burglaries, and the remaining 6.3% were attempted forcible entry burglaries. In 2003, residential burglaries accounted for 65.8% of all burglaries and the remaining 34.2% of burglaries occurred in nonresidential locations. For residential burglaries, the majority, 62%, occurred during the day, while for nonresi-dential burglaries, the majority, 58.4%, occurred at night. The estimated loss for all burglaries combined in 2003 is $3.5 billion, with and average of $1,626 per offense. The average of $1,600 for residential burglaries is slightly less than that of $1,676 for non-residential burglaries.
The residential burglary estimate provided by the 2003 NCVS is 3,395,620 victimizations (29.9 burglaries per 1,000 households), up from the 2002 estimate of 3,055,720 (27.7 burglaries per 1,000 households). The NCVS estimates that 54.1% of residential burglaries are reported to police. According to the NCVS data, the burglary rate varies depending on annual household income, ownership of household (owned or rented), location of household (urban, suburban, or rural), and region of household (Northeast, Midwest, South, or West). For households with an income of $7,500 or less, the rate is 58 burglaries per 1,000, while the rate for households with an income of $75,000 or more is 20.8. The rate is 24.5 for those who own their homes, while those who rent have a rate of 41.2. For households in urban areas, the burglary rate is 38.7 per 1,000 households, in suburban areas the rate is much lower at 24.0, and in rural areas the rate is 30.5. The Northeast experienced burglaries at the lowest rate of 20.5, and the Midwest has the highest rate of 32.5. The South and West are not far behind with rates of 32.2 and 30.6, respectively.
In 2003,13.1% of burglaries reported to police were cleared, meaning that arrests were made. Of cleared burglaries, 16.8% of arrestees were under the age of eighteen and 70.5% were male. Whites accounted for almost three-quarters of arrestees.
Etiology
The etiology of burglary can be found in the needs of offenders, whether perceived or actual. This need is often immediate in nature, thus requiring an equally immediate solution such as burglary, as opposed to legitimate work or some other form of crime.
The bulk of research on burglary indicates that the need for money is the primary motivation for its commission (Bennett and Wright 1984; Cromwell, Olson, and Avary 1991; Rengert and Wasilchick 1985; Wright and Decker 1994). While the motivation is generally financial, it varies from the need for money for legitimate expenses to the necessity for the material constructs of the lifestyle of most burglars. Wright and Decker (2004) describe the motivation of burglars as largely falling into the purposes of ”keeping the party going,” in other words being able to have or buy drugs and/or alcohol; ”keeping up appearances,” including having stylish clothes or cars; and ”keeping things together,” or simply being able to pay the rent or any other necessary responsibility. Burglary causes offenders to engage in behaviors that promote the maintenance of short-term goals and future offending.
Police Response
Police respond to burglaries and also attempt to prevent future burglaries. There are two ways in which burglaries can come to the attention of the police. The first is to actually observe the burglary taking place, and the second, and far more frequent, way is to respond to reported burglaries. Once a burglary has been called to the attention of the police, and it has not been directly observed by the police, an investigation begins. The primary purpose of the investigation is to identify, locate, and apprehend the burglar. Once an offender has been identified, it is necessary for the police to prepare a case that can be successfully prosecuted.
The police can also respond to burglary in an attempt to prevent it. While the statement sounds paradoxical, police can respond to patterns of burglary that exist on their beats or in their cities. By understanding and being cognizant of the trends of burglary, they can react by increasing visibility and presence as well as by forming relationships with members of the community, namely, the youth, creating a mutual respect in the neighborhood.
Recent police efforts to prevent burglary (and crime in general) have included such policies/programs as problem-oriented policing (POP) and community-oriented policing (COP). POP involves identifying specific problems and developing strategies to solve those problems. This type of policing can be useful in the prevention of burglary because often those involved in burglary are both offenders and victims of this crime, allowing for the reduction of a significant portion of these crimes with the removal of recidivists. COP, on the other hand, is a law enforcement approach that seeks to work closely with the residents of the community. In the case of burglary, citizens can inform police of specific problem areas and patterns of burglarizing.
Conclusion
Because burglary involves the entering into ones place of residence or business, it holds particular fear for potential victims. While police can help to prevent burglaries, residents and business owners can implement strategies such as using proxies for occupancy and installing locks and alarm systems. Although the burglary rate has declined significantly in the past several decades, it remains a problem and the second most frequently occurring serious offense, after only larceny-theft. If for no other reason than its frequency, it is important for police to strategically respond to committed burglaries and attempt to prevent its occurrence in the future.
