Unlike the “ghost” in the movie Lights Out!, burglars today are very bold and find no reason to stay in the dark. Statistics from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reveal that most burglaries happen in broad daylight, contrasting with countless media portrayals of thieves attacking at night.

1. FBI Statistics Reveal That
Most Home Burglaries
Happen During the Day
Liberty Home Products
358 S Navajo St., Denver, CO 80223
(303) 698-1860

2. Unlike the “ghost” in the movie Lights Out!, burglars today are very bold and find no reason to stay in
the dark. Statistics from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reveal that most burglaries
happen in broad daylight, contrasting with countless media portrayals of thieves attacking at night.
Daylight Prime Time
FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program officially defines burglary as the unlawful entry of a structure
to commit a felony or theft. In 2016, the latest set of data available, the country logged an estimated
1,515,000 burglaries. These incidents accounted for 19.1 percent of all property crimes that year.
Incidents of burglary in residential properties accounted for 69.6 percent of all reported burglary
offenses. According to the data, the prime time for burglars to attack a home is between 10 a.m. and 3
p.m., a time when many homes are not occupied.
Contrary to popular depiction in media, the majority of burglaries do not involve violence. Most
burglars only want to find something of value that they can easily sell and get out as quickly as they can.
FBI’s data show that the burglary time frame ranges from as fast as 90 seconds to 12 minutes. This may
be why most of them make a move when houses are unoccupied.

3. Still, burglaries leave homeowners feeling traumatized and violated, not only because they lost
properties but also because a criminal was in their home.
Hardening the Target
In a report by the University of North Carolina’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, 60
percent of convicted burglars said the presence of a security system dissuaded them from targeting a
home.
Burglars want easy access targets like single-family, detached homes and homes without any form of
security system. As such, experts suggest that homeowners take extra precaution in securing access
points in their homes. This may include installing steel doors and windows, adding security cameras, or
installing a security system. A home without a security system is three times more likely to be broken
into than a home with one.
With burglaries occurring every 18 seconds in the U.S., it’s important not to compromise a house’s
security to maintain the family’s safety and well-being.

4. Sources:
https://www.lhpinc.com/
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/topic-pages/burglary
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/cjis-link/fbi-releases-preliminary-semiannual-crime-statistics-for-
2017
http://airef.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BurglarSurveyStudyFinalReport.pdf
http://www.jsu.edu/police/docs/Schoolsafety.pdf