PERMIAN BASIN (KMID/KPEJ)- The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines burglary as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.
The FBI defines a “structure” as things such as an apartment, bran, house trailer, or houseboat when used as a permanent dwelling, office, railroad car (not automobile), stable, or vessel. More information can be found here.
While burglaries have been prevalent in the past, there has been an increase over the past few years. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Midland saw nearly 250-incident increase in burglaries between 2020 and 2021, while Odessa saw around a 100-incident increase involving burglaries between the same years.
Midland
- 175 in 2020
- 404 in 2021
- Second most common crime in Midland behind theft
Odessa
- 469 in 2019
- 584 in 2020
- Third most common crime in Odessa behind theft
More of these statistics, including for other parts of Texas, can be found here.
According to the United States Department of Justice, there are many prevention methods to keep burglars out of these structures.
Burglars break into doors and windows the majority of the time. Doors that are unlocked, have weak doorframes, have outside door hinges, or have glass are especially easy to enter. Entrance doors should be solid wood or metal and should have peepholes. If moving into a new home or apartment, all door cylinders and locks should be replaced. Deadbolt locks should be used.
Since most burglars won’t break glass to keep quiet, secured windows will also help prevent break-ins. While there are different security measures to be taken for each kind of window, such as double hung windows, sliding glass windows, basement windows, etc., a few tips apply to all kinds of windows. Locking windows and making sure they are securely attached to the structure helps significantly in preventing burglaries.
More info on burglary prevention and other studies can be found here.
To learn more about how to prevent burglaries, Odessa Police Department regularly holds Neighborhood Watch meetings where they discuss things such as preventing home and auto burglaries.
If you see a burglary or suspicious activity, contact OPD or MPD immediately and provide precise location about where you see it happening.
