Yes, burglars actually do case houses, studying them for patterns, security, and items to steal.
According to the FBI, there are more than 3,000 burglaries a day in the U.S. There are steps you can take to try to burglar-proof your house, of course, starting with basic security steps and awareness. But a determined burglar can get into any house, and the average burglary takes just 8-10 minutes—and it can take as long as 40 minutes for the police to respond.
For an additional layer of burglary prevention, you should know the signs that your house is being cased by a burglar—and yes, burglars definitely do that; 83% of burglars interviewed for a study said they at least looked for home security systems before attempting to break into a house, and 12% stated they planned the whole operation in advance.
Burglars casing a house need to determine a few basic facts: your schedule (so they know when the house is likely to be unoccupied), security measures in place, and their best chance of gaining entry. The tried-and-true method for doing this is to park a short distance away and observe your house at different times during the day. If you notice a new car suddenly parked in the same spot on your block, look a little closer to see if you can spot these tell-tale signs of surveillance:
Occupied. Most parked cars won’t have people sitting in them for hours at a time.
Equipment. Is the person in the car using cameras or binoculars (or similar equipment) to watch your house or other houses?
Different people. If the parked car is occupied, is it the same person every day? Multiple people sitting in the same car is a big red flag that you’re being cased.
You might think that the last thing burglars would want is face time with their victims, but it’s not uncommon for burglars casing a house to literally knock on your door. There are two big reasons for this:
Confirming schedules. If the thieves think they know when you’re typically home and when the house is empty, knocking is an easy way to confirm it.
Getting inside. With a story about an emergency or any other reason to be inside your home, they have an opportunity to observe the layout, security measures, and location of valuables.
If you encounter strangers at your door trying to get inside or claiming they knocked on your door by mistake, be suspicious—and vigilant.
If a burglar thinks your house looks like a good target, they may try to confirm their suspicions or prepare your home for an invasion in a variety of ways:
Damage. A stone through a window pane should get a resident’s attention. If it’s not addressed right away, that indicates no one’s home.
Lights. Check your outdoor lights, especially motion-activated ones. Are they working? Has someone unscrewed the bulbs? Thieves sometimes do this to mask their approach in the future.
Cameras. Check your security cameras. Are they damaged or obscured in some way? A potential burglar might be blinding your home so they aren’t caught on camera when they rob you.
Gas tank. A tactic sometimes used by burglars is to siphon the gas from your car, then wait for you to drive off. Chances are you won’t notice you’re on fumes, and they can count on a delay in your return to give them some extra time.
Lost dog. It’s heartbreaking, but thieves sometimes let dogs out of yards or literally kidnap them so they won’t have to deal with a barking, aggressive animal when they arrive.
If you suddenly experience random, minor problems with your house, consider the possibility that someone is targeting you.
No, there’s no “burglar code” of complex markings left on your house, but thieves do sometimes mark your home in subtle ways. They sometimes leave colorful fake flyers on your porch, painter’s tape on your door, or flip over your welcome mat. These things aren’t done to communicate something to other burglars, though—they’re tricks to see if anyone’s paying attention to the house. If the flyers are still there the next day, the tape hasn’t been removed or broken, and the doormat is still flipped, it’s a good sign that no one’s been in or out of the house and it may be safe to break into.
