Home Invasion is an unlawful and normally powerful entry into a private dwelling with plan to take over the property from the tenants, were burglary, ambush, assault, murder, or kidnapping can all possibly occur.
Nothing is more frightening than having someone walk into your home, threatening you with a weapon to your head and robbing you.
Burglary cases alone are on the rise because people generally pay little attention to protecting their houses against intruders. Most people are all about decorating their homes. But they have no insight into keeping their home safe from potential invaders.
There is no specific timing when these intruders will barge into your home and start assaulting you. Per the records, instances of daytime burglaries are as high as the number of nighttime cases. Moreover, the United States is one of the countries most affected by home invasion and robbery.
Break-ins are considered as the topmost rising property crime concern in America. According to the data at hand, a house is invaded every 25.7 seconds in the United States, which means there occur more than two home invasions per minute. Collectively, on average. 3,300 break-ins are reported daily in the US.
Despite such an alarming situation, only 25% of American citizens have proper home security systems to protect their houses from potential invasions.
The law and order situation in the United States may be better than most countries around the globe; however, all is not well. Regardless of the state of their residence, average Americans are at risk of a home invasion at any given time.
It’s high time that we understood the situation we are faced with and took necessary caution against a potential threat such as home invasion. Before you invest in upgrading your home security, here’s everything you need to know about home invasion.
How long do Home Invasions Last?
An average group of intruders takes less than two minutes to invade a home, and it takes 10 to 12 minutes to either assault the people in the house or rob them.
Estimated time of the home invasion
During the first minute, the invader lurks outside your house, searching for anyone here and there. Most pure-evil intruders ring the doorbell before barging into the home to create an strong impression. In contrast, others barge in to catch the residents off guard.
Or, intruders may pretend to be someone they are not. They may try to approach you as someone who needs direction or information regarding a subject. Once you answer the door, the attack begin.
When an intruder confirms that no one is in the house, they may enter the back of your home, where they can run into unseen. Within a minute, the intruders will be inside your home, searching for stuff to steal, targeting expensive objects.
The hunt will sometimes begin in the master bedroom, where the majority of valuables are generally kept. If they find nothing there, they will search the rest of the house and steal as much as they can. Sometimes they will have a getaway driver at the location with the car running for a quick getaway. This is what some non-violent invasion may do.
When an Invader comes and someone is at home this drastically changes the entire situation. Invaders use fear as a tool to seek co-operation, which means things can get very violent if residents are present.
How often is there a Home Invasion?
You would expect places like California or New York to have the most cases of home invasions per capital. However, in reality, these are at the bottom of the list.
In the United States, New Mexico is the most invaded state, along with several other rural states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In the year 2018, there were almost 768 home invasions in New Mexico.
As to answer the question of where these invasions most likely occur, these incidents usually happen in rental homes. The United States Bureau of Justice claims that invaders hit rental apartments more frequently than owed houses – and that has been happening like this for years.
On a positive note, though, the average number of reported home invasions has fallen from 68 to 33 for rented properties over the last two decades and decreased from 44 to 18 for owned houses during the same period.
Is there a way to prevent a home invasion?
In the United States, there is a higher chance of home invasion when the homeowners are out of town or on holiday. According to specialized evaluators, the timing of attack typically starts from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
Still, there is no confirmation of when intruders will destroy the peace of your home. The primary aim of every home invader is to steal as many valuables as possible and leave the house before anyone notices.
Upgrading home security may seem like a daunting and costly investment, but only some basic upgrades can decrease the likelihood of a break-in to a great extent. Here are a few things to consider:
You should install protective locks on every door and window, and always remember to lock them. Then, equip your house with a smart security system that contains alarms, detectors, sensors, and surveillance cameras.
Security systems are available with unique packages, so that’s a benefit for you. Pick the one that compliments the nooks and crannies of your home.
The system you choose must contain the following features:
- Smoke and fire detectors
- Driveway sensors
- Automated home lighting
- CCTV cameras
- Motion-sensor lighting
- Advanced lock systems
- Glass break sensors
The thought alone of having a security system is enough to protect your home from armed suspects. On the other hand, thorough surveillance and other special security features can deliver a significant peace of mind.
Moreover, you can also maintain shrubbery and vegetation around your house so the intruders will have no place to hide.
What is the difference between Home Invasion and Burglary?
The two words invasion and burglary are often interchangeably used in TV shows, on the internet, movies, and books. However, home invasion and burglary are two very different crimes with specific criteria, implications for the victim, and investigative procedures.
Read further to understand more about the difference between home invasion and burglary, and how you should take action if you encounter anyone of these.
Burglary:
The standard burglary is when someone enters into private property unannounced intending to commit a felony or a theft. The suspect can remain inside the property without the owner’s consent. According to the criminal code, the places include:
- Trailers
- Aircraft
- Motor vehicles
- Buildings
- Railroad cars
- Watercraft
However, if the burglar did not damage the property while entering, this attempt is a Class 3 felony. In contrast, burglary with damage is called a Class 2 felony. Furthermore, robbery committed at the daycare center, a place of worship, or a school is a Class 1 felony.
Burglary (Community Watch Blog Paper Blog)
Home Invasion does belong to the category of burglary. Still, can involves a more serious charge because it can includes an act of violence. An invasion occurs when the suspect knows there is someone/some people in property and:
- Threatened or committed violence against an innocent homeowner
- Abused or sexually assaulted an occupant
- Had a weapon
- Threatened or fired a gun
Moreover, a home invasion is considered a Class X felony, representing the highest class of all felonies.
Are Home Invasions Random?
4.47% of home invasions are random. Home invasions aren’t always planned. In random times, it involves a group of intruders, carrying weapons, wearing masks, and barging into a home without thinking about the presence of the homeowners.
When you think of an invader, you typically assume someone sneaking into your home at night unnoticed. But actually most home invasions occur during the daytime. It is because most homeowners are at work during the daytime, which leaves an big open time for intruders.
According to a recent shocking report, convicted burglars claimed that half of their crimes are committed without planning. Therefore, it is crucial to keep all open doors and windows locked, even when you are in the house.
Home invaders do not target homes that are full of security systems and surveillance cameras. So, for the sake of your family’s safety, install an active safety system in your home to drive away any intruder that tries to sets foot on your property.
Most invaders aren’t after your possessions
Those days were over when home invaders were only after your household possessions, including sound systems, televisions, or other expensive devices.
Prefer to keep your car keys in a place where they are not too obviously seen. As you know, television sets and a lot of electronic items are comparatively low in price—the suspects of today’s target laptops, bank cards, passports, and confidential documents.
Home Invasion Statistics
The US Department of Justice took matters into their own hands, and estimated the following report with factual information:
- 60% of rapes and 38% of assaults occur during home invasions.
- More than 2,000,000 homes will experience burglaries or home invasions this year.
The United States suffers from over 4,500 home invasions every day. Moreover, the average count of home invasions each year was 1,030,000 from 1994 to 2010.
Criminal attempts can be carjacking, rape, home invasions, armed robbery, workplace violence, identity theft, rape, or any other crime. You must arm yourself with the best self-defense or strategy possible.
How not to be a home Invader statistic
One of the most important and best precautionary measures is to be aware of who you are socializing with, especially when you invite unknown people to your home.
You must be very careful when it comes to inviting a lot of new people into your home. Whenever possible you should background checks on people you invite into your home. This can be something very hard to do with every single visitor, so trying to make sure you put expensive items out of visitors view.
Even though you might want to show off some of your new fancy stuff, this is really not a good idea with strangers in your house. Just in general you never want people to see too much of your private life inside your home anyway. There are some things that are only for you and your family to know about.
Searching from the National Criminal Records will help you get authentic results if you choose to research a person.
If you arm yourself with proper information and awareness of the people around you, you will not become a part of another home invasion statistics.
Conclusion
Home invasions are rampant in the United States. An average American is at risk of intrusion, robbery, and assault at the hands of armed intruders at large, in every street of the country. Becoming too comfortable can easily lead to a lot of loss. It’s essential to invest in home security to reduce the probability of such an incident.
Intruders feel intimidated by a house with cameras, high fences, and efficient security systems, which reduces the chances of an easy escape. A little investment can save lives! CWP
Community Watch Paper blogs:
Report an incident or a suspicious activity
What to Do If Someone Enters Your Home without Permission
Difference Between Robbery & Burglary
References
https://www.safewise.com/blog/8-surprising-home-burglary-statistics/