What motivates and deters burglars?

A researcher led a study to take a look into the minds of burglars, providing insight into their motivations and methods.

The team gathered survey responses from more than 400 convicted offenders.

UNC Charlotte researcher Joseph Kuhns said that the study helps to understand gender differences in offending motivations and techniques.

He said that by asking the burglars what motivates and what deters them, the team believes that this research can help people better understand how to protect themselves against these crimes and help law enforcement more effectively respond.

The findings of the study were, when selecting a target, most burglars said that they considered the close proximity of other people - including traffic, people in the house or business, and police officers; the lack of escape routes; and signs of increased security - including alarm signs, alarms, dogs inside, and outdoor cameras or other surveillance equipment.

About 83 percent said that they would try to determine if an alarm was present before attempting a burglary, and 60 percent said that they would seek an alternative target if there was an alarm on-site. This was particularly true among the subset of burglars who were more likely to spend time deliberately and carefully planning a burglary.

Among the thieves who discovered the presence of an alarm while attempting a burglary, 50 percent confessed that they would discontinue the attempt, while another 31 percent said that they would sometimes retreat. Only 13 percent said they would always continue with the burglary attempt.

Respondents indicated that their top reasons for committing burglaries was related to the need to acquire drugs (51 percent) or money (37 percent) - often used to support drug habits. Only one burglar indicated interest in stealing firearms - a common misperception.

50 percent admitted that they primarily burglarize homes, while 31 percent typically committed commercial burglaries.

Most burglars reported that they entered open windows or doors or forced windows or doors open, only about one in eight burglars reported picking locks or using a key that they had previously acquired to gain entry.

Only about 12 percent indicated that they typically planned the burglary in advance, 41 percent suggested that it was most often a "spur of the moment" event, and the other 37 percent reported that it varied.