Burglary damages lives and is detrimental to communities in the United States. It costs victims billions of dollars each year, not to mention the emotional pain inflicted. Burglary alarms are crucial for homeowners because off the added security benefits. The following information and statistics are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation burglary reports.
Definition
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines burglary as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. To classify an offense as a burglary, the use of force to gain entry need not have occurred. The UCR Program has three sub-classifications for burglary: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry. The UCR definition of “structure” includes apartment, barn,
house trailer or houseboat when used as a permanent dwelling, office, railroad car (but not automobile), stable, and vessel (i.e., ship).
Overview
- In 2010, there were an estimated 2,159,878 burglaries—a decrease of 2.0 percent when compared with 2009 data.
- Burglaries increased 2.0 percent in 2010 compared to the 2001 estimate. Burglary accounted for 23.8 percent of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2010.
- Of all burglaries, 60.5 percent involved forcible entry, 33.2 percent were unlawful entries (without force), and the remainder (6.3 percent) were forcible entry attempts.
- Victims of burglary offenses suffered an estimated $4.6 billion in lost property in 2010; overall, the average dollar loss per burglary offense was $2,119.
- Burglaries of residential properties accounted for 73.9 percent of all burglary offenses.
Expanded burglary data
Expanded offense data are the details of the various offenses that the UCR Program collects beyond the count of how many crimes law enforcement agencies report. These details may include the type of weapon used in a crime, type or value of items stolen, and so forth. In addition, expanded data include trends (for example, 2-year comparisons) and rates per 100,000 inhabitants.
A home security system can help prevent burglaries at your home or business.
Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics