Burglaries are down nationwide, but still take precautions to protect your home before leaving on trips
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
When you're away from your house is a likely time someone may prey on an unsuspecting home.
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, there were 619,811 burglaries reported in 2021, the most-recent year for available data. That number has fallen every year for the past 10 years of data available – 2011 was the peak in that timeframe with 1,964,808 reported nationwide.
The US Department of Justice has reported that 66% of burglaries are home invasions. According to the FBI's data, about 31.7% (196,684) of all reported burglaries occur at residences during the day, while about a quarter (154,723) occur at residences at night.
In Columbia so far in 2023, there have been about 105 calls made to police about potential burglaries, according to the Columbia Police Department’s online records. There were about 455 calls made to police dispatch in 2022.
As many families and students head out of town for spring break this weekend, the amount of break-ins may increase as residents leave their homes for an extended period of time.
Spring Break starts this weekend for public schools in Columbia and multiple local universities including the University of Missouri, Stephen's College and Columbia College.
University of Missouri grad student, Omiya Hassan, said that though she feels safe in her campus apartment, she will still be locking her doors and pulling down her window blinds to make sure her apartment is safe while she is gone.
But just because burglaries appear to be on the downturn, it's a good idea to still take precautions.
On its website, State Farm has tips to prevent burglaries from happening; including adding security measures, leaving lights on timers and keeping your plans to be away to yourself.
Geico Insurance also shared a few things you can do to keep your home secure while also not drawing attention to it.
Turning on electronics -- like a radio or television-- can give the impression that someone is in the house.
Lock every door, window and pet doors. Pay close attention to any doors you may not normally lock.
Be careful what you post on social media; don't publicly post when you're away.
