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Understanding Burglary: Definitions, Types, and Investigations

This chapter covers the unlawful entry of structures, elements of burglary, types of burglaries, distinguishing amateurs from professionals, investigating residential and commercial burglaries, methods of entering safes, physical evidence, and deterring burglaries effectively.

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Understanding Burglary: Definitions, Types, and Investigations

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  1. Chapter 12 Burglary

  2. Burglary Definitions • The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft, even though no force was used to gain entry – Uniform Crime Reports. • The breaking and entering must be committed during the nighttime or “between sunset and sunrise” – Common Law definition.

  3. Burglary Burglars are covert, seeking to remain unseen Crime against property Robbery Robbers confront their victims directly Crime against a person Burglary vs. Robbery

  4. Residential Occurs in buildings, structures or attachments that are used as or are suitable for dwellings. Committed by one or more juveniles or young adults who live in the same community. Commercial Churches, schools, barns, public buildings, shops, offices, stores, factories, warehouses, stables, ships, and railroad cars. Committed by two or more people. Buildings are cased. Occur at night or on weekends. Classification of Burglaries

  5. Routine Activity Theory Crime results from the simultaneous existence of three elements: • The presence of likely or motivated offenders • The presence of suitable targets • An absence of guardians to prevent the crime

  6. Burglary Elements: • Entering a structure • Includes remaining after closing • Without the consent of the person in possession • Includes withdrawn consent • With the intent to commit a crime therein • Often presumed present

  7. Possessing Burglary Tools Elements: • Possessing any device, explosive or instrumentality • With intent to use or permit their use to commit burglary

  8. Amateur Between 15 and 25 Unskilled Steals radios, TV’s, cash, and other portable property Learns through trial and error Professional 25 to 55 Steals furs, jewelry, and more valuable items Carefully trained by other professional burglars Amateur vs. Professional

  9. Anatomy of a Burglar • Often a neighbor who lives or works within a two mile radius • Operate on a daily routine and mental image of their environment

  10. Responding to a Burglary Call • Watch for persons fleeing the area • Watch for suspicious-looking persons still at the scene and suspicious automobiles • Don’t use a siren on the way to the scene • Cut flashing lights some distance from the scene • Don’t use a spotlight or flashlight • Park several doors away from the address • Turn the radio down and close car doors quietly • Approach the immediate area with a low voice • Avoid jangling keys or coins

  11. The Preliminary Investigation of a Residential Burglary • Contact the resident(s) • Establish points and methods of entry/exit • Collect and preserve evidence • Determine the type and amount of loss • Describe the MO • Check for recent callers • Canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, evidence, discarded stolen articles, etc.

  12. Preliminary Investigation of a Commercial Burglary • Contact the owner • Protect the scene from intrusion by owners, the public, and others • Establish points and methods of entry/exit • Locate, collect, and preserve evidence • Narrow the time frame of the crime • Determine type and amount of loss

  13. Preliminary Investigation of a Commercial Burglary Continued • Determine who closed the establishment, who was present at the time of the crime, and who had keys • Describe the M.O. • Identify friends of employees, maintenance people and any possible disgruntled employees or customers • Rule out a faked or staged burglary for insurance purposes

  14. Methods of Entering Safes and Vaults • Punching • Peeling • Chopping • Pulling • Blowing • Burning • Hauling away

  15. Physical Evidence • Fingerprints • Footprints • Tire prints • Tools • Tool marks • Broken glass • Safe insulation • Paint chips • Personal possessions

  16. Modus Operandi Factors • Time • Type of victim • Type of premises • Point and means of entry • Type of property taken • Any peculiarities of the offense

  17. Receiving Stolen Goods Elements: • Receiving, buying, or concealing stolen or illegally obtained goods • Knowing them to be stolen or otherwise illegally obtained

  18. Deterring Burglaries • Install adequate locks, striker plates, and doorframes • Install adequate indoor and outdoor lighting • Provide clearly visible addresses • Install burglarproof sidelight window glass beside doors • Install a burglar alarm

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