Communities which are deemed affluent are more likely to be targeted by burglars.
This has been confirmed by convicted burglars who say they tend to break into houses based on size and look. They observe how the occupants live and dress and also get information from someone familiar with the home.
This was revealed yesterday as senior research officer with the National Task Force on Crime Prevention (NTFCP), Kim Ramsay, gave the findings of the national study, Profiling Burglaries In Barbados 2006-2011, at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott.
In the study, 386 burglary victims and 41 inmates of Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds who make up a third of the prison population incarcerated for burglary, were surveyed.
Ramsay said of the 41 inmates, 13 said a burglary was planned in advance and 27 said it was an impulse crime. Thirty said they had an accomplice.
The research showed the main items of choice for burglars were jewellery, cash and electronic devices. Ramsay said in eight out of ten cases the items were not recovered because they were easy to move, easy to get rid of and there was a market for them.
