When Do Business Break Ins Happen?

Businesses burglaries make up about 35% of all burglaries, according to Safe City. When they occur, businesses lose roughly 20 percent more money as a result of the crime. In order to prevent business break ins, you need to know when they happen. Predicting break ins and preventing them is a big problem for many business owners and managers.

Certain businesses are more likely to attract crime than others, of course. Plus, all business break ins are more likely to happen at certain times of the day and year. Here’s what you need to know about when business break ins happen and how you can reduce your property’s risk.

What Time of Day Do Business Break Ins Happen?

Unlike homes, businesses are more likely to be broken into at night than during the day. Criminals want to be undisturbed, so they plan to commit their crime when businesses are closed, or when there are fewer people around to notice or interfere with them. In fact, this is one reason that those stores that are open 24/7 have a reduced burglary risk—criminals know that a person is always around to spot their theft. So, one way to deter theft is to have a presence in the building at all times. However, this can be expensive, particularly if you have a large process.

Research has found that more business break ins also tend to happen on the weekend rather than a weekday. This may be because some businesses close for the weekend. It also may be that the young men who commit most property theft crimes are more active over the weekend.

What Time of Year Do Business Break Ins Happen?

There is a general uptick in crime over the summer months, as this is true for business break ins as well, according to EPA Security. In part, this may be because some businesses operate with shorter hours. However, there are several other factors that contribute to this phenomenon.

Businesses are also vulnerable to break ins during the holidays, according to the FBI Unified Crime Report. Some holidays offer a rare opportunity to steal from a business that is normally open 24/7. So, if you are going to invest in new security features, it is wise to get them installed before the holidays so that you can be more protected during this critical time.

Break Ins Also HappenDuring Unrest and Crises

Criminals also respond to local and world events and may increase their crimes based on them. For example, break ins are more likely to happen during riots. Rioters sometimes decide to target businesses specifically. It can be hard for business owners to predict where and when riots will occur. Still, it may be impossible to install new security measures once there is violence in the area, so it’s important to be prepared beforehand.

Break ins are also more likely to occur during pandemics and other crises. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw a rise in commercial break-ins. Again, this may be mostly attributable to the fact that businesses were suddenly empty when they would normally be open and operating. The rise also may be attributable to financial stress, as more people lose their jobs and turn to crime.

Break Ins More Likely in Low-Income Areas

In general, more property crime occurs in low-income areas. Businesses in low-income areas may also be more isolated or have fewer security features, which may make them more vulnerable to break-ins.

However, there is an exception to this. Low-income areas in small towns and rural locations are less likely to see break-ins than low-income areas within cities. This may be simply because there are more people in cities and therefore, a higher chance that a criminal walks by a business property in the city and chooses it as his or her target. Or, it may be that a small community has stronger social connections that help to deter people from becoming thieves in the first place.

Preventing Business Break-ins

Access Control Systems

Your doors are the primary method of access for most thieves, as opposed to windows. In fact, 50 percent of burglaries occur through unlocked doors, according to Johnson Controls. Installing an access control system of some kind can significantly reduce your odds of a break in, not only by physically stopping them but also by discouraging even an attempt. Criminals will often seek out another target when they realize that committing a break-in will not be easy at your property.

Landscape Changes

You can sometimes prevent break-ins if you can make a thief uncomfortable enough that they will not even approach the door in the first place. As they do not want to be seen, you can deter would-be thieves by lighting up the exterior of your property. Motion-detecting lights may be particularly effective as they surprise thieves. Landscaping choices can also help by not giving thieves any visual cover as they approach your door. Avoid planting bushes that can conceal people, especially in long lines. Trees are generally fine, as they are tall enough that they are over people’s heads.

Reinforce Your Doors

However, the presence of an access control system is not always enough to deter thieves. More than half of business break ins will involve forcible entry, which means that the thieves will attempt to break down your doors. In this case, your door may not be enough. It’s important to have our door reinforced with a multi-point deadbolt system that can withstand serious force. Few criminals will use a car to ram through the door, so your door just needs to resist the force they can put on the door with their own body.

We have two systems that are great for reinforcing your doors, the Trident and the Auto-Bolt Max. These multi-point deadbolt systems will make your door much stronger against a break-in but still work smoothly to prevent any frustration when you or another authorized user is opening or closing the door.

Need More Help?

Reach out to our team of security experts to learn about all the ways we can help secure your business. We’re proud to serve communities like Jackson, Danville, and Citrus Heights with smart, high-security solutions that can dramatically reduce your businesses’ liabilities.