Home Burglaries Up 9% in Texas, Allstate Says

Homeowners in Texas may want to consider boosting their homeowners insurance polices, and re-evaluating their inventory lists after reading this:

Allstate Insurance has shared that burglary claims for their customers in Texas increased 9 percent last year. The insurer is advising people to keep their homes locked, their alarms engaged, and their vacation plans secret, if they go away this summer.

What are the most common stolen items? Allstate surveyed police departments across the Lone Star state, and found that the number one target in home burglaries are flat-screen televisions, which are followed by laptop computers, jewelry, and cash. In some cities, the survey found, an increasing number of home burglaries are being tied to organized groups, like street gangs, which, police say, have “shopping lists” of things to steal, and will actually back into their target’s driveway, knock on the door, and kick it in if no one answers. They then take valuable, portable items and leave within a few minutes. Afterward, most of the stolen goods end up being filtered to other cities and states, or even across the border into Mexico, by an organized fencing operation.

David Christopher, an Allstate agent in the Dallas/Fort Worth area explained, “”Not only do these home burglaries disrupt homeowners’ lives because their valuables are stolen, but they create a potentially dangerous situation if the theft is interrupted. That’s why it’s so important for homeowners to take precautions because these thefts can happen anywhere.”