Some people use the terms interchangeably, but there are differences between “burglaries” and “robberies,” in how the law classifies them, the risks involved, the best prevention strategies, and the insurance steps to take afterward. In federal crime-data taxonomy, burglary is a property crime and robbery is a violent crime, and most states follow similar definitions, with local variations in degrees and aggravating factors. See the FBI’s offense definitions for burglary and robbery, and note that state statutes like California’s burglary and robbery or New York’s burglary and robbery show typical—but not identical—wording across states.
Burglary vs. Robbery: How Do They Differ?
“Burglary involves a theft from a home or other building,” explains Brady McAninch, partner at the Hipskind & McAninch law firm in Belleville, IL. “It is the act of improperly entering a home without permission with the intent to steal or damage the home or items within it.” This aligns with the FBI’s definition of burglary as unlawful entry into a structure with intent to commit a felony or theft (FBI NIBRS definitions).
However, he explains that robbery is the forceful taking directly from an individual. “Think your classic ‘stick em up’ in an old western movie.” In federal reporting, robbery is defined as taking something of value from a person by force, threat, or intimidation and is categorized as a violent crime (FBI NIBRS definitions).
For current scope, the FBI’s Crime in the Nation, 2024 provides the latest national police-reported counts and rates per 100,000 population for both burglaries and robberies, as well as the value of property stolen and recovered. The Bureau of Justice Statistics publishes the companion victimization picture in Criminal Victimization, 2024, including household burglary and personal robbery victimization rates (per 1,000), typical losses (e.g., medians), and the share reported to police (BJS, 2024 NCVS; program overview: NCVS). Preliminary 2025 direction-of-change is available via the FBI’s quarterly updates (Quarterly Uniform Crime Trends) and large-city snapshots from the Council on Criminal Justice (Crime Trends). Always label police-reported statistics (FBI) separately from victimization rates (BJS) to avoid mixing series.
Obviously, no one wants to be a victim of either. However, Jon Knight, CSO at Fortified Estate, a high-end residential fortification company, believes that robberies are a much more frightening prospect. “It’s sad to lose valuables, but in a robbery, an injury or even the loss of life are an actual possibility.”
Fortunately, robbery is rare in the home context, and Knight says that many incidents stem from offenders mistakenly assuming a house is empty. That said, planning and target selection can differ for higher‑net‑worth households, where premeditated incidents are a greater concern. From a data standpoint, the FBI’s 2023 national release showed property crime had risen versus 2022, reinforcing the need for layered prevention; by contrast, the 2024 full‑year statistics indicate burglary and robbery remained near multi‑decade lows nationally, with preliminary 2025 updates showing declines in many jurisdictions (FBI 2023 context; FBI 2024).
How to Protect Yourself From a Burglary
Even though Knight works for a home fortification company, he says your home doesn’t need to be a fortress to avoid being burglarized. “For the most part, you just need to make sure you’re not the most attractive burglary opportunity on the block.” Use simple target‑hardening: exterior lighting, trimmed landscaping, quality locks, and visible security devices. Choose locksets tested to ANSI/BHMA standards (Grade 1 offers highest performance for residential) (BHMA lock grades).
But what does that entail? “Burglars naturally love being hidden, so anything that blocks visibility to entry points of your home adds risk,” he explains. “This often includes foliage, home layout, or even fences — ones that block visibility, yet can be physically bypassed.” If you can’t remove the areas to provide coverage to burglars, he recommends using motion-activated bright lights and obvious security cameras in those areas.” Today’s better systems also emphasize privacy and verification: look for cameras and sensors that perform on‑device AI person/vehicle/package detection, encrypt footage end‑to‑end or process locally, and support multi‑factor authentication in their apps (Matter security model; CISA MFA guidance). If you add smart sensors/locks, prefer platforms that support Matter over Thread/Wi‑Fi with device attestation and mandatory encryption (CSA Matter).
Also, a KTVB report of anecdotal evidence generated by 86 burglars reveals that they overwhelmingly agreed that if a television or radio was playing in the home, “they would immediately leave the scene rather than risk finding a homeowner,” he says. Complement that kind of “occupancy signal” with modern false‑alarm reduction: many monitoring centers and municipalities encourage verified alarms that blend motion/contact sensors with short video or audio snippets before dispatch to reduce nuisance responses and fines. On resilience, choose dual‑path systems (broadband + cellular backup) and hubs with battery backup, and secure your home network with updated firmware and strong Wi‑Fi encryption (WPA2/WPA3) (FTC Wi‑Fi security).
“For the most part, you just need to make sure you’re not the most attractive burglary opportunity on the block.”
Jon Knight, CSO at Fortified Estate
Knight also offers advice to minimize the loss of valuables if a burglary does take place. “Assuming you do have a proper alarm system installed, the criminal knows they have just a few minutes to steal what they want.” You should keep your most important items in a safe. “However, the safe should be in a harder to find area and it should be bolted down – otherwise the burglar may just carry it off.” In terms of hiding the safe, Knight says this could be as simple as putting a few heavy boxes in front and on top of it, since every second counts. “Likewise, even bulky valuable items — such as artwork — could be moved to an out-of-the-way room before a long trip.” For higher‑value items, consider UL‑rated safes and documenting serial numbers and appraisals for insurance purposes (NAIC theft coverage basics).
How to Protect Yourself From a Robbery
A busy house could help to deter a robbery. “The easiest ‘soft’ security solution is to ensure there are frequent visitors in and out of your house — but this obviously is often impractical,” says Knight. So, he recommends protecting outside entry points as much as you can. “Typical doors can be kicked right in, and glass broken easily,” Knight explains. “A door that prevents forced entry and strong glass — whether impact-resistant or ideally, ballistic glass — can be the difference between having time to call police before the intruder gains entry and it being too late.” A home security system can also make a difference, especially if it’s monitored since the company can call the policy directly. For person‑crime risks like robbery, prioritize rapid communication (panic buttons, cellular backup), verified alarms to reduce delays, and strong account security (MFA) (CISA).
A safe room or panic room can also provide a defense against a robbery. While this may sound like an option reserved for million-dollar homes, Knight says it doesn’t have to be elaborate, and can be discreetly built into a usable room, such as a bedroom. “A secure door can be used and walls can be reinforced with the right material to even stop a bullet,” he explains. “Some of our higher-end clients will even store a few bullet resistant blankets that they can grab in an emergency and protect themselves or drape over a door or exposed window for ad hoc protection.”
He admits that no defense is completely impenetrable, but says you can buy time until the police arrive. And that’s another area that you need to shore up. Make sure that you can quickly communicate with 911. “This can be as simple as keeping landlines in most rooms of the home or even installing simple panic buttons through the house that can be set up to alert authorities,” Knight says. “As with burglary crimes, your best defense is always deterring and delaying the criminal until those who are expert at stopping criminals – the police – can arrive.” For timeliness, note that the FBI’s quarterly 2025 updates provide direction‑of‑change for robbery and burglary versus 2024, and large‑city trackers can show local context (FBI quarterly; CCJ city trends).
What to Do if You’re a Victim of a Burglary or Robbery
After calling the police, you should contact your insurance agent soon after. “Burglaries are going to be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, up to the limits of the policy,” says John Espenschied, owner of Insurance Brokers Group in Chesterfield, MO. “Most insurance policies will specify dollar limits for certain items like jewelry, computers, or sporting goods — and you can request increased limits or schedule a particular item of higher value.” Standard homeowners policies cover theft (burglary and robbery) of personal property at home and typically worldwide, subject to the deductible and special sublimits for categories like jewelry, watches, firearms, silverware, cash, and business property (Insurance Information Institute; NAIC).
Those “higher value” items can often be covered under what’s called “scheduled personal property” — a policy add-on that offers greater coverage for specific items. Scheduling typically raises or removes theft sublimits and can broaden causes of loss (often including accidental loss or “mysterious disappearance”), sometimes with no deductible; carriers may require recent appraisals or receipts (NAIC; example program details: State Farm Personal Articles Policy).
Robbery would also be covered under the home policy up to the same limits, according to Espenschied. Confirm whether your personal property is insured for replacement cost or actual cash value (ACV); HO‑5 policies more often include replacement cost by default, while HO‑3 may require an endorsement (HO policy types (III)). Off‑premises coverage and property kept at another residence (e.g., dorm or vacation home) can be capped at a percentage of your personal property limit—check your declarations and endorsements (NAIC).
“If a robber ‘requests’ you remove your jewelry, it would have been a good idea to have had those items added as a rider or scheduled with an appraised value amount,” he says. Espenschied adds that scheduled items are covered worldwide, so you should be sure to add any individual jewelry valued over $1,500 each. “The cost is generally less than 1% of the insured amount.”
Also, you should understand how any type of theft can impact your future home insurance premium renewals, Espenschied says. “Make sure that you are exceeding your deductible limits before filing a claim,” he advises. “If a burglar steals an amount below your deductible, you will not receive any money for the loss because you have a minimum deductible amount like $1,000 or $1,500, depending on how your policy was set up.” Beyond the claim itself, carriers routinely adjust rates and underwriting by ZIP code to reflect local burglary/robbery trends; in elevated‑crime areas, you may see tighter eligibility, higher deductibles or sublimits, and required security measures (e.g., central‑station alarms and safes). Verified controls can earn credits, and many insurers advertise monitored‑alarm discounts often in the 5%–20% range depending on ZIP and certification (NAIC on location-based pricing; III on discounts).
This is also a good place to mention the link between your security system and your insurance premium. “I recommend taking advantage of the discount for having a monitored security system, which can save you 5% to 10% off your annual homeowner’s insurance premium,” Espenschied says. In 2025, many carriers still provide monitored‑alarm credits and may require proof of professional monitoring; keep certificates and service contracts on file (III).
You should also read your fine print. “Many coverages require any items worth more than $1,000 — like a wedding ring — to be disclosed to the insurance company,” says McAninch. “Take pictures, keep the receipt — with electronic storing of data, these things are easy to do now.” And this advice isn’t just for jewelry. “That Jordan sneaker collection that you take pictures of for Instagram? Make sure you have records of those shoes: Where did you buy them, for how much — keep track of this,” he says. Insurers commonly require a police report for theft claims and a timely, documented proof of loss; maintaining a digital home inventory with serial numbers and photos speeds claims (NAIC: filing a claim).
The Bottom Line
Burglaries and robberies can be traumatizing. While there are no guarantees that you can avoid them, taking every precaution can make you an unattractive target. If a crime does occur, be sure that you have sufficient insurance to cover your losses. It also helps to know, in advance, how to file an insurance claim. Insurance for break-in prone areas may be different, so you should research this topic as well. Finally, there are a number of online apps and services to help you track your neighborhood and receive verified alerts: real‑time incident feeds from Citizen; community and official posts via Ring Neighbors and Nextdoor Public Agency; 911‑integrated fire/EMS visibility and bystander CPR alerts with PulsePoint Respond; opt‑in city/county alerts through Everbridge/Nixle; official incident mapping at CityProtect; and, where communities adopt them, neighborhood ALPR networks like Flock Safety. For life‑safety emergencies, ensure Wireless Emergency Alerts are enabled on your phone (Ready.gov on IPAWS/WEA), and consult official sources for confirmations.
