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A home invasion suspect met his end Wednesday morning after Phoenix police shot and killed him.
While most burglaries don’t end in death, they usually result in lost property and increased concern among a neighborhood, city or state.
And for Arizona, the state had the 14th highest rate of burglaries in the nation in 2017, according to a report by SafeHome.com.
With a reported rate of 536.3 burglaries per 100,000 people, Arizona is about 100 burglaries per 100,000 from the Top 10.
The worst states: New Mexico (858.1), Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The seven metro areas with the highest rates were all in Arkansas or Louisiana.
Despite conventional thought, SafeHome.com states, New York has the lowest burglary rate at 176.3 per 100,000 people.
Some good news is the number of nationwide burglaries has decreased from 2.1 million in 2012 to 1.4 million in 2017, albeit at a cost of $3.4 billion.
"Most break-ins are crimes of convenience," Taylor Anne Adams, a public relations official for SafeHome.com, told the Daily News-Sun. "The longer it takes to gain entry into a home, the more time a burglar is exposed to a neighbor who sees what’s happening and calls the police. These criminals are looking to manage risk; so the tougher it is to get in, the less it’s worth their effort. That’s why, although it sounds overly simple, the single best thing you can do is lock your doors and windows."
The Daily News-Sun looked at the number of burglaries between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018 that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office lists on communitycrimemap.com, and found between Sun City and Sun City West, the agency investigated 218 burglaries, whether residential or commercial. This number does not account for all possible burglaries to have occurred within these communities, as it only represents the crimes MCSO has reported online.
Using the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population counts to combine the Sun Cities (62,034 people), the burglary rate per 100,000 comes out to 351.42, lower than Arizona, and lower than all but 17 states and D.C.
Keep in mind without a fuller count of burglaries, the Sun Cities rate might be closer to Arizona rate, although a guess would be not too close.
As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, in 2019, the MCSO has listed 20 burglaries between the Sun Cities on communitycrimemap.com. The most recent occurred before 11 p.m. Wednesday near Del Webb and Thunderbird boulevards in Sun City.
Insurance company Nationwide offers several tips to protect homes from thieves, such as having a home security system, using proper outside lighting, installing solid wood or metal doors, and locking pet doors when away.
“Thieves are also quick to spot weak locks that may be easily forced open,” the Chandler Police Department states on its tip list. “Doors should have good deadbolt locks and all windows should have window locks.”
In the event that a burglar enters the home, residents who mark personal property may deter criminals from selling them. Engrave an identification number on an area that is not easily dismantled or seen.
Neighborhood watch groups are also recommended.
"Securing your home properly means you need to try to think like a criminal," Ms. Adams stated. "They don’t want to get caught and arrested, so they undertake a risk-reward analysis. Your job is to make the risk simply too high.
"So, yes, lock your doors, but also make sure the bushes near your front porch aren’t creating a hiding spot. Look at your home from the street. If you’ve got loads of natural light streaming into your living room, that probably means it’s really easy to see the new TV hanging on the wall. We’re not saying don’t buy the TV; buy the TV, but also install a set of curtains."
For residents in Sun City West, the thought of more burglaries might creep up without the sight of posse vehicles to deter would-be criminals. As previously reported, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office suspended all enforcement and patrols by posse groups after the agency found some armed volunteers had not met all requirements to carry firearms (Daily News-Sun, Jan. 29, 2019, page 1).
However, Sun Cities residents who live within MCSO’s jurisdiction are encouraged to report any suspicious or criminal activity to 602-876-1602. As always, call 911 in an emergency.
Visit www.safehome.org/resources/states-highest-break-ins/ for more information from the study.
Reporter Chris Caraveo can be reached at 623-876-2531 or ccaraveo@newszap.com.
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