What Are the Most Stolen Items in Home Burglaries?
Our home is where we should feel safest, but that is not always the case. There are people who break in and steal items for a variety of reasons, but what people take in burglaries is rarely random. There are several home items that are commonly stolen in burglaries across the country. This means that burglars commonly have a goal in mind when they break into someone’s home.
If you don’t know what the most commonly stolen items in home burglaries are, the criminal defense attorneys at Mazzoni Valvano Szewczyk & Karam will explain.
The Most Commonly Stolen Home Items In Burglaries
If you know what someone would look for if they break into your home, you may be less likely to leave it where it’s readily available. Some items require and even necessitate more security than others for legal reasons. They include:
Firearms
Firearms, particularly guns, are some of the most stolen home items in the United States. This is commonly due to two reasons: there are millions of guns and gun owners in the United States and there is a market looking to buy unregistered second-hand guns. Guns are also worth a significant amount of money, which makes them worth the risk in the eyes of burglars. Because they are dangerous weapons, you can potentially be held responsible for not properly storing and caring for them. You need to make sure your firearms are safe from burglars.
Personal Documents
Personal documents, such as a social security card, passport, driver’s license, banking information, and more, are all documents that a burglar wants. With these documents, they can steal even more from you, ruin your credit score, tarnish your reputation, or steal your identity. Make sure these are in as safe a place as possible to protect you and your family.
Bicycles
Due to the materials they’re made from, bicycles hold their value incredibly well. Due to this and a recent bike shortage, they have a high resale value and don’t require much proof of ownership like a car or a gun. They’re considered cheap and easy money, and they can serve as a means of escape. The best thing you can do is to lock your bike somewhere in your garage, with a strong enough bike lock, and they would have to damage the bike to free it. This would void the whole point of stealing.
Furniture
This may sound strange considering the size of most furniture, but furniture also includes small, valuable, and resellable items like lamps, tables, rugs, and even outside patio furniture. These are items that have been in your house for a long time. The odds of you being able to track them down, or having proof of ownership is low, making them perfect for stealing. Larger furniture is not as common due to a burglar’s inability to move it.
Prescription Drugs
There’s a theme that connects the home items that are stolen more than others. They have a high monetary value and high demand on the secondary market. Prescription drugs, especially painkillers, are not something a buyer will ask twice about, they just want the drugs. Anti-biotics have high resell value too, being that the burglar can resell them for a cheaper price than a pharmacy.
Jewelry and Watches
While owners and retailers are able to track jewelry and watches with more accuracy and validity every day, burglars still go out of their way to steal them. Their high resale value is too good to pass up, and many burglars feel that they need the money.
What Should You Do If You’re Accused of Burglary?
Burglary is breaking and entering into someone else’s domicile without explicit permission. It doesn’t matter if someone steals anything, the attempt is enough to earn the charge. If you are charged with burglary, you need a criminal defense attorney who can prove that it wasn’t your intention to enter or steal anything, or to make sure you aren’t charged for something you didn’t steal.
The criminal defense attorneys at MVSK Law have extensive experience in defending people charged with theft crimes. We understand the seriousness of the charge and will do all we can to protect your freedom. Contact us.
