The holidays are winding down, leaving homes full of new gifts and goodies that may make them more enticing to thieves. The average home burglary led to $2,661 in loss in 2023, according to FBI statistics, which includes stolen property as well as property damage. Occasionally, this also includes physical harm or trauma to someone in the home.

Though homeowners insurance often covers the financial fallout of burglaries, it can’t do much about the emotional distress and inconvenience caused when your home is robbed. As such, homeowners should take all possible steps to protect themselves and their homes from burglaries before they happen.
Here are some important things for homeowners to consider about burglaries.
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Don’t let down your guard because the sun is out

Though the words “home burglary” may conjure visions of masked men sneaking into houses at night, these thieves are most likely to strike during daylight hours. Nearly a third of home break-ins happen during the daytime when residents may be at work or school. Homeowners should protect their homes at all times of the day by installing deterrents like cameras, smart locks and security systems that can be monitored when they are away from the home.
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Burglars move quickly

Most home burglaries last less than 10 minutes, Deep Sentinel reports, which emphasizes the need for fast-response security measures. Alarm response times vary by company, so homeowners should invest in a system that alerts authorities as soon as a break-in happens to increase the chances they can intervene.
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Don’t make it easy for thieves

About 37.5% of burglaries in 2023 happened without the thieves attempting forcible entry. This means they were able to access the home through an unlocked entryway, like a door, window or garage. Homeowners should always take the time to lock doors and windows, even when they’re only leaving the home for a bit.
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Police aren’t responding to home burglaries as often

According to Deep Sentinel, in 2023, many police departments stopped responding to home alarms unless they were verified since resources were being used on false alarms up to 95% of the time. Because of this, homeowners should consider moving away from traditional, unverifiable alarm systems to something that includes video verification or uses a professional monitoring service.
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Higher population density leads to higher risk

Homes in urban areas are almost three times as likely to be burglarized as those in rural areas. While urban homeowners should be extra cautious, those in rural areas shouldn’t overlook their risk and should still take steps to safeguard their homes.