Home Security Facts and Statistics

Burglary Facts

FBI reported that there were 1,230,149 burglaries in 2018 plus approximately 1.5 million burglaries go unreported every year according to the Department Of Justice. That’s 1 burglary per 50 properties, 1 burglary every 10.5 seconds. (2019 FBI and DOJ crime reports will be available at a later date in 2020).

• Average loss due to a burglary was $2,700.
• 67% of all burglaries were residential.
• 29% of residential burglaries occurred at night.
• Most residential burglaries occurred during a weekday.
• 58% of burglaries involved forcible entry.
• 28% of burglaries someone was present during the burglary.
• 14% of burglaries resulted in arrests.
• 70% of all break-ins involve the use of a door.
• 85% of burglars are male 14-21 years old.
• 65% of all burglaries are drug related.
• 50% would be someone you would recognize.
• The first place a criminal goes is the master bedroom for cash and jewelry.

For more burglary facts and statistics visit Burglary FAQ

Sources: FBI UCR 2018, BJS Criminal Victimization (Table 4), BJS Crime and Drug Data, BJS National Crime Victimization Survey

Hate Crime Facts

Hate crime surged 8% in 2018 and it’s expected to spike even higher in 2019. In 2018, law enforcement agencies participated in the Hate Crime Statistics Program reported 7,120 hate crime incidents involving 8,496 offenses. (2019 FBI hate crime report will be available at a later date in 2020).

• There were 6,063 single-bias incidents involving 7,509 victims.
• 2,518 were offenses classified as crimes against property. 75.9% were acts of destruction/damage/vandalism. The remaining 24.1 percent of crimes against property consisted of robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and other crimes.
• 34% of hate crime offenses happened in or near residences or homes.
• 61% percent were targeted because of a race/ethnicity/ancestry bias.
• 21% because of a religious bias.
• Religious anti-bias categories included: anti-Buddhist, anti-Semitic, anti-Hindu, anti-Christian, and anti-Sikh, as well as an anti-Arab bias.

Source: FBI UCR Hate Crime Statistics 2018

Fire Facts

U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1.3 million fires in 2018. 499,000 fires were home structure fires causing 3,655 civilian deaths, 15,200 civilian injuries, and $25.6 billion in property damage (this figure includes $12.4 billion in losses from major California wildfires).

• One home structure fire was reported every 90 seconds.
• Fire-related deaths occurred every 2 hours and injury every 35 minutes.
• 50.8% of all fires start in the kitchen.
• 13.8% are smoking related.
• 10.8% start with the heating and cooling units.
• 6.4% start with electrical malfunction.
• The leading cause of residential fires other than cooking is inintentional, careless at 16.9%.
• You have less than 4 minutes to escape a fire.
• Average fire burns at 1000 degrees.
• Average fire burns for 37 minutes before someone outside sees it.

Sources: NFPA Fire Statistics, USFA Statistics

Carbon Monoxide and Flooding Facts

Carbon monoxide (CO), an odorless, colorless gas can cause sudden illness and death, is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned.

• Accidental carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for 393 deaths every year and around 27,000 seek medical attention.
• 36% of the deaths occurs in December, January, or February.
• One inch of flood water cost $27,000 in repairs.
• Few homeowner’ policies actually cover flood damage.
• Flooding accounts for more than $1 billion each year in property damage in the United States.

Sources: CDC, FEMA

Don’t Become a Statistic

• 1 out of every 5 homes will have a burglary, fire or carbon monoxide poisoning over the next 6 years.
• 1 out of every 3 homes will suffer from a medical emergency this year.
• 9 out of 10 convicted burglars agreed that they would avoid a house protected by an alarm system.
• An ADT home security system can help protect against intrusions, poison gas leaks¹, flood disasters², fires³, and emergencies.

Break-ins can be devastating. Homes with security systems are 3X safer. Take action now and install an ADT security system to avoid being a statistic. 24/7 monitoring. Trusted for over 140 years.

Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2016 Uniform Crime Report. Simon Hakim, Temple University. International Association of Chiefs of Police. National Fire Protection Association. National Safety Council. Journal of the American Medical Association.
Requires purchase of ¹carbon monoxide sensor, ²flood sensor, ³smoke/heat sensor.

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