Photo: Anna Shvets

Do burglars go through windows or doors?

According to her research, an overwhelming majority of burglars enter homes through the doors and windows. Thirty-four percent use the front door, while 22 percent get in through the back door. Twenty-three percent use first-floor windows. And oftentimes, those doors and windows aren't even locked.

rd.com - 7 Sneaky Ways Burglars Can Break into Your House - Reader's Digest

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Front and back doors aren’t the only ones burglars can use to access your home and its valuables. “People… forget to protect side doors, back doors, garage doors, and doors that lead into the house from the garage,” says Liz Martinez, a former investigator and criminal justice instructor at Carrington College. She adds that these entrances can also be more beneficial to would-be burglars because they’re better hidden. “Make sure these secondary entrance doors are metal and have appropriate locks,” Martinez advises. “Also, be sure that any other types of entrances are protected, such as skylights.” We bet the most common time of the day for burglaries will surprise you.

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They get the right tools

“Breaking in” is never a more fitting term than when a burglar encounters a locked door and decides to bust open the door anyway. This is a fairly unlikely method of burglary since it’s more likely to attract suspicion, but a skilled burglar may be able to do it. Some bring tools specifically with the intention of bypassing locks and bolts. “Burglars will often use tools like crowbars or credit cards to slip through locks or pry open entryways,” Hall says. Bruce Ailion, a realtor and attorney, adds, “For [houses] with a standard lock and no other security, the easy way to [gain] access is with a pipe wrench.” Ailion warns that more skilled thieves may even have taken online locksmith courses, or acquired pick guns or bump keys, in hopes of getting past deadbolts. “If that fails, a power drill will get through a deadbolt in a few minutes,” warns Ailion. Skilled burglars may also have tools specifically for getting through windows: “Windows with old-fashioned locks are easily accessed with a putty knife,” Ailion says. Hall has some advice for foiling even tool-equipped burglars. “The best remedies… are strong doors, window sills, and deadbolt locks,” he says. Next, learn even more security tips that could protect your home from a break-in.

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What do police break into doors with?

Enforcer (battering ram)

en.wikipedia.org - Enforcer (battering ram) - Wikipedia

British police battering ram

An Enforcer ram of the West Midlands Police in use during Operation Intrusive, 2013 Enforcer (also known informally as a “Rammit”, "the Sam",[1] "Donker", "Sam", "Bosher", and "the big red key") is the term given to a specially designed manual battering ram[2] manufactured by Sigma Security Devices Ltd and currently used by British Police forces, fire services and other agencies to aid in gaining entry to premises in confined spaces.[2]

Construction [ edit ]

The Enforcer is a 16kg hardened steel construction with a steel pad at the impact end so that it can absorb the impact,[3] and a handle at the opposite end angled so that the user can swing accurately at inward-opening doors without actually applying their own pressure more than necessary.[3] Further, there is a handle in the middle of the tube aiding the user in handling.[3] The Enforcer can apply more than three tonnes of impact force to door locks. It is 58 cm long.[3]

Police use [ edit ]

In London the Metropolitan Police Services' Armed Response Vehicles and most station vans carry them. Within most forces an officer can only use such a tool once they have attended a course receiving training in the safe handling and operational use.[3] Also, most forces insist that the user wears gloves to cushion the user's hands from the shock created when a door is struck with the ram.[3]

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