Distraction Burglary
Research
Distraction Burglary (also known as bogus callers and artifice burglary) has been the subject of relatively few formal studies.
The Cambridgeshire Distraction Burglary and Rogue Trader Taskforce: An Evaluation
The evaluation took place between January and May 2003. It concentrated on key initiatives and the Taskforce's most innovative aspects which were the multi-agency setting, the publicity campaign, the Net-Detectives activity and the Awareness Days - an initiative concentrating on older people.
Title: Cambridgeshire Distraction Burglary and Rogue
Trader Taskforce: an evaluation
Authors: Nathalie Collomb-Robert, Sarah Williams, Louise
Moore, Maria Tortoriello (Home Office)
Number of pages: 37
Date published: January 2006
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Evaluation of the Leeds Distraction Burglary Project
This report evaluates the Leeds Distraction Burglary Initiative (LDBI), which was a two-year crime reduction project designed to reduce incidents of distraction burglary within the Metropolitan District of Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Title: Evaluation of the Leeds Distraction Burglary
Project
Author: Stuart Lister, David Wall, Jane Bryan
Series: Home Office On-line Report 44/04
Published: 10th August 2004
Number of pages: 79
The Leeds Distraction Burglary Initiative (LDBI) successfully implemented a range of law enforcement and crime prevention interventions, which focused predominantly upon older people. These interventions included:
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A range of situational crime prevention equipment to enhance domestic security; (e.g. additional security equipment for older peoples houses, and gardening work);
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A doorstep cold-calling protocol for agency visitors;
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A domestic contractors' voluntary registration scheme;
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A specialist distraction burglary detective and Scenes of Crime Officer;
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Developing partnerships;
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Presentations to members of the public, the voluntary sector and statutory agencies;
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Training conferences for agency personnel and neighbourhood volunteers;
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School visits
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Drama performances portraying crime prevention messages;
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Educational crime prevention and detection videos;
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A high profile media strategy.
The LDBI took a multi-agency approach which utilised the
expertise and delivery capacity of a range of statutory and
non-statutory partner agencies. The City of Leeds has a
well-developed older people's voluntary sector – which proved a key
factor in the successful implementation of the project. Volunteers
from older people's community groups were mobilised, which helped to
extend the project's coverage and disseminate crime prevention
advice, assistance and resources to large number of older people.
Another objective was to promote the reducing burglary distraction
agenda to other public, private and voluntary agencies providing
services to older people. This would enable the projects crime
prevention activities to be sustained after the Home Office funding
expired.
Download "Evaluation
of the Leeds Distraction Burglary Initiative"
PDF
A more detailed summary of the report can be obtained from "Burglary-Evaluation of the Leeds Distraction Burglary Project".
Distraction burglary amongst older adults and minority ethnic communities
This report attempts to investigate crime and victim profiles and establish patterns that might be used in future work.
Title: Distraction burglary amongst older adults and
minority ethnic communities
Authors: Amanda Thornton, David Walker & Rosie Erol
Series: Home Office Research Study, Home Office Findings
Date published: June 2003
Number of pages: 100 (Research Study), 4
(Findings)
The "Distraction burglary amongst older adults and minority ethnic communities" report was produced from two research studies commissioned by the Home Office Distraction Burglary Task Force as part of its action plan to tackle this relatively little understood type of crime. It looks at factors associated with victims and non-victims (individuals and groups) and the effects on victims. The main points emerging from the study are as follows:
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Two differing victim profiles: victims who admitted the burglar, and those where the burglar entered uninvited.
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Risk factors leading to targeting included neglected gardens and houses, surrounding houses neglected and front door not visible to neighbours.
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Risk factors for potential older victims included problems with mobility and daily life, few regular visitors and few doorstep checking routines.
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Victimisation was lower among minority ethnic communities. Suggested reasons include higher occupancy levels at high risk times, and a greater awareness of doorstep checking procedures.
Recommendations cover the following issues:
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Raising awareness of self-protection, such as through campaigns designed for specific community groups
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Reducing vulnerability risk factors, e.g. minimising signs of neglect;
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Reducing the impact of the crime, which although was not great for most victims, did have a serious effect on a small number.
Download "Distraction
burglary amongst older adults and ethnic minority communities"
PDF
Distraction Burglary Development and Practice Report
Home Office Development and Practice Reports are intended to pull together the lessons learned from research studies into practical guidance that can be applied by CDRP members. This report looks at lessons learned in distraction burglary and its effects on the elderly.
Title: Older victims of burglary and distraction burglary
– recommendations for practitioners
Series: Home Office Development and Practice Report 11
Date published: June 2003
Number of pages: 6
The DPR is intended to serve as practical guidance, drawing on the two research studies, relevant for practitioners dealing regularly with older people and vulnerable groups, or in contact with older victims after a crime. Its recommendations may be of particular interest to the police, CDRPs, local authorities, other housing providers, Primary Care Trusts and organisations in the voluntary and charity sectors.
The substance of its recommendations are shown under the research studies "Distraction burglary amongst older adults and minority ethnic communities" and "Experiences of burgled older people" but among other things it stresses:
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The importance of raising public awareness of distraction burglary: it suggests ways in which campaigns might be improved so that the messages are remembered and acted upon;
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Interaction rather than passivity on the part of the audience of older people, to maximise learning effectiveness;
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Promoting self-confidence and feelings of personal control;
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Identifying vulnerable older people (e.g. after a fall) and victims experiencing high levels of trauma, and findings ways to ensure that they receive suitable support;
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Identifying "slips in behaviour" in doorstep security to help the victim confront the problem and learn how to deal with it.
Download "Older
victims of burglary and distraction burglary - recommendations for
practitioners"
PDF
Also published at the same time was "Experiences of burgled older people"
The Formulation of a Strategy to Prevent and Detect Distraction Burglary Offences Against Older People
Title: The Formulation of a Strategy to Prevent and Detect
Distraction Burglary Offences Against Older People
Author: Brian Steele, Amanda Thornton, Claire McKillop & Helen
Dover
Date published: October 2001
Number of pages: 99
This report looked at a number of issues related to distraction burglary in West Yorkshire, including:
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The statistical profile of the victim
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Older people issues and the impact of crime
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Bogus offender interviews
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A problem solving approach to bogus offenders
Last update: January 2006