Expound upon the three basic categories of burglars, and detail the process of target selection in burglary

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Mike Maguire outlined a typology of burglars, with three categories:

• Low-level burglars are primarily juveniles, who often commit crimes impulsively, usually work with others, are easily dissuaded from a particular target by security devices, do not gain significant rewards, and frequently desist from burglary as they get older.
• Middle-range burglars are generally older, move back and forth between legitimate and criminal pursuits, more commonly use alcohol and other drugs, are easily dissuaded from a target by security devices, gain larger rewards from their crimes than do low-level burglars, but lack connections to permit constant and large-scale dealing in stolen goods.
• High-level burglars are professionals, work in organized groups, engage in careful planning and target selection, and earn a significant living from their crimes.

When it comes to target selection, retail establishments are four times to be burglarized as likely as other types of commercial establishments. The reasons for this include the exposure of the merchandise, the fact that it is new and has a high resale value, and the fact that the offender does not need to spend intrusion time searching for the loot. Other key elements that influence target selection include:

• Signs of occupancy
• The presence/absence of complex security devices
• The presence/absence of dogs
• The location of the target relative to the offender's residence