Belgium Home Burglaries Happen Every 10 Minutes
Homeowners in Belgium continue to face the risk of residential burglaries, as thieves often target quiet homes, especially during periods such as the New Year holidays when they believe properties may be empty.
In 2019, there were 62,816 reported home burglaries in Flanders alone. Based on that figure, a residential burglary occurred roughly every 10 minutes in the Flemish region. Homes belonging to older people and properties that appeared empty in rural Belgian areas were among the types of homes that could attract burglars.
The average loss from a burglary was around 2,650 euro, while jewelry and other valuable items were also commonly stolen. Beyond the financial damage, burglary can have a serious psychological impact on homeowners and their families, who may feel less safe in their own homes after the incident.
Police data from 2020 showed that the number of burglaries fell by 55 percent during the coronavirus crisis. Several factors contributed to this decline, including restrictions on movement between cities and the fact that many people were staying at home during lockdowns, making it more difficult for burglars to find empty properties.
Homeowners Often Act Too Late
Despite the high number of residential burglaries in Flanders, many homeowners only take stronger security measures after they have already been victims of a burglary. In many cases, people do not seriously consider improving home security until they experience the financial and emotional consequences themselves.
Research cited in discussions about burglary prevention has also found that many burglary victims later say they would have taken additional security measures much earlier if they had understood the potential consequences of having their home broken into.
How to Reduce the Risk of Burglary?
One of the most common ways homeowners try to reduce the risk of burglary is by installing a security alarm system and improving the physical security of their property.
Good home security can make a property less attractive to burglars because visible alarms, secure doors and windows, lighting and other protective measures can increase the difficulty and risk involved in breaking into the home. Burglars may therefore choose an easier target when they believe a property is well protected.
Prevention remains one of the most important ways to protect a home and family from burglary. Although no security system can guarantee that a house will never be targeted, combining an alarm with strong locks, secure windows, outdoor lighting and other preventive measures can make a home more difficult to enter.
According to the police statistics cited in the original report, many of the burglars identified at the time were young people of Romanian and Bulgarian nationality. However, nationality alone does not indicate whether an individual is involved in crime, and crime statistics should be understood in their proper context.
