Over 400 Greenville residents experienced a burglary of their home or property over the course of 2017 according to the annual end of year crime statistics report published on March 1, 2018 by the Greenville Police Department. In addition to the burglaries, another 639 residents reported a break-in to their vehicle.
Crime By The Numbers
While popular police television shows may lead you to believe the good guys always win – the reality is that car and home break-ins are rarely solved. Some reasons for this may be that investigative resources are limited and heavily focused on more serious crimes such as homicides and kidnappings. However, in many cases, there are simply no clues or leads for a home or vehicle break-in to be investigated. These crimes often occur quickly and leave little evidence for the police to act on.
The facts are clear that in Greenville only sixteen percent of home burglaries and fifteen percent of car break-ins have been solved for 2017. The track record for 2016 and 2015 register a few points higher due to the added time to investigate, but still only reach 20 and 21 percent respectively.
Crime Prevention
While these numbers may seem discouraging or even frightening, homeowners have many very effective means of both preventing crimes on their property and helping the police solve a crime if one does occur.
The Greenville crime statistics only point out burglaries that have been committed and the ability of the police to solve them after the fact. What they don’t take into account is how burglars selected their targets, and how many were prevented due to good security measures by homeowners. We can take an educated guess that many of these properties looked like easy targets to the criminals who committed the crime. An established fact in the police and physical security professions is that criminals, in general, look for vulnerable and unprotected victims and property.
A Home Security System Can Make a Difference
Installing a home security system is a well-known and relatively simple step that can be taken to protect your home and vehicles from criminal acts. Criminals are looking for an easy opportunity, not a home with good lighting, cameras, alarm signs, a drawbridge and an alligator-filled moat! They’ll likely continue their search for easy opportunities elsewhere when confronted with a challenge.
ProTec Can Help You Get Started
While you can probably skip the moat and alligators, a few simple physical security upgrades to your property can both deter criminals scouting for an easy score, and could also provide clues for the police if a crime is still committed.
Contact the Home Security System Professionals at ProTec Security Systems today for more information on protecting your property!