How Do Burglars Choose Targets? Practical Home Security Advice

Burglars do not all choose homes the same way. A useful prevention plan reduces easy access, improves the visibility of entrances and adds ways to detect trouble. It should work with your household's daily habits rather than depend on predicting one type of offender.

For a homeowner, the most productive question is not whether a particular house “looks like a target.” It is which weaknesses can be addressed: a door that does not latch reliably, a secluded entrance, an unused alarm or an unattended property with no one able to respond.

What research tells us—and what it cannot promise

A 2013 UNC Charlotte research summary describes a survey of 422 incarcerated people in North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio. Respondents reported considering nearby people and indications of security when choosing targets. About 60% said an alarm's presence would cause them to look for another target.

The study was funded by the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. It records what this sample of convicted offenders said; it is not a measurement of today's burglary rate in Maine, New Hampshire or Massachusetts, or proof that an alarm reduces any individual home's risk by 60%. Its practical lesson is that visible activity and security can influence decisions, while no single measure deters everyone.

Start with a walk around your own property

Make the review in daylight, then look again after dark. You are checking how the house functions, not trying to label unfamiliar people or predict a crime.

Tufts University Police’s home-security guidance recommends checking locks and exterior visibility, arranging collection of deliveries, and asking a trusted person to watch the home during travel. Those are practical complements to an alarm. Avoid adding locks, bars or other barriers that interfere with emergency escape.

Locks, alarms and cameras contribute different protections

Locks and sound doors provide a physical barrier. A contact on an opening reports a change; it does not make the door stronger. If a frame is damaged or a latch does not engage reliably, correct that physical problem as part of the plan.

An intrusion alarm detects selected events. Door contacts, suitable glass-break detection and interior motion sensors address different conditions. The right combination depends on the layout and the areas that need protection while the house is occupied. Our alarm sensor guide explains those differences.

Cameras provide a view and potentially useful evidence. Their value depends on the scene, lighting, image quality, recording and whether someone receives and acts on the event. They may provide a visible deterrent, but an individual camera cannot guarantee prevention or identification. See what doorbell cameras can and cannot do before treating one front-door view as complete coverage.

Monitoring adds a response process. Confirm what reaches a monitoring center and how the account is handled. A notification to your phone relies on you seeing it and taking action; it is different from a professional monitoring service. Neither arrangement guarantees a particular police response.

A security sign is a useful indication of a real system, but it does not replace functioning equipment, active service or good everyday use. If your alarm is left unused because it is confusing or repeatedly faults, resolving that issue is a more practical investment than adding another sign.

For seasonal homes, make absence a planning question

A Maine lake house, a New Hampshire second home or a Massachusetts property left empty during travel needs more than a last-minute arming check. Assign someone who can receive an alert, arrange access and coordinate a service visit when you are hours away.

Check the alarm's operating plan before a long absence: correct contact details, understood arming modes and a way to handle faults. If internet service is paused seasonally, ask what that changes for alarm reporting, camera access and other connected services. Do not assume they share the same connection.

Security is also broader than burglary at an empty house. Low-temperature and water detection can address different property risks, with their own sensor placement and response arrangements. Keeping those decisions in the same review makes the plan easier to manage.

What if something already looks wrong?

If you return and see signs of a break-in, stay outside or move to a safe place and call police. Woburn Police’s prevention guidance likewise says not to enter if you think someone is in the home. Do not confront someone. Use 911 for an immediate emergency. Camera footage can be reviewed and shared with police from safety; it is not a reason to approach a suspected intruder.

A sensible order for improvements

1. Fix unreliable doors, locks and latches and review who has keys or codes.
2. Address visibility and practical nighttime lighting around the entrances you use.
3. Review alarm coverage and the modes that suit your occupied and away routines.
4. Add or improve cameras for a defined view, recording or verification purpose.
5. Keep the system maintained and make sure someone can act on a problem.

This order is a planning approach, not a universal risk score. The useful result is a home that is easier to secure consistently, with fewer obvious gaps and a clear next step when something happens.