Burglars as optimal foragers: Exploring modern-day tricks of the trade

Addis, Nicholas; Evans, Andrew; Malleson, Nick

Abstract

Based on semi-structured interviews with 23 incarcerated burglars, this paper details findings from a qualitative examination into how the principles of Optimal Forager Theory (to minimise time and effort, minimise risk of detection, and maximise reward) apply to the behavioural methods utilised by offenders. Findings included the use of ‘serial targets’ (to minimise time and effort), as well as offenders’ ability to ‘blend in’ to their surroundings (to minimise risk of detection). To maximise reward, offenders used brands of consumables (evident from packaging found in residents’ rubbish) as a proxy for wealth, as well as personal details gathered through residents’ discarded mail to establish their ethnicity (for the targeting of Asian gold). The findings support the notion of ‘dysfunctional expertise’, and demonstrate how efforts to maximise time and effort, minimise reward, and maximise risk of detection for offenders can be used to develop crime prevention policy to reduce future burglaries.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 28, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Oct 23, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 24, 2022
• Journal: Crime Prevention and Community Safety
• Print ISSN: 1460-3780
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-4629
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (part of Springer Nature)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 359-380
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41300-021-00125-x
• Keywords: Residential burglary; Optimal forager theory; Offender decision-making; Target selection; Crime prevention
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9012997
• Additional Information: Accepted: 28 August 2021; First Online: 23 October 2021