ABSTRACT
Burglary is a difficult crime to investigate. Success depends in large measure on the actions of the initial officer on the scene and the efforts of crime scene technicians, the crime lab, and fingerprint analysts. The dogged determination of the investigator in using interviewing skills, crime pattern analysis, and available records to identify a suspect is critical to successful investigations. Burglary is a crime that affects all strata of society. Losses range from relatively small amounts to millions of dollars; burglary suspects can have widely varying degrees of skill and expertise. All too frequently, burglaries are given short shrift by the police, who may be deluged with large numbers of violent crimes against the person. Burglaries test the innovative skills of an investigator who can make sense of a large amount of information related to the type of case, the modus operandi of known burglars, and the ability to trace stolen goods.
