ABSTRACT
Since burglary has become ‘deskilled’ it is not surprising that most burglars do not nowadays carry tools or implements with them. In the distant past, jemmies were carried to force doors or windows, but when it became obvious that carrying one was itself incriminating, burglars switched to heavy duty screwdrivers for the same purpose. Now, however, these have become as incriminating as the small bar, so burglars tend to use forcing tools found at the target or else break in crudely with sticks or stones found there. Twenty eight of the men (62 per cent) carried no tools and the remainder tended only to carry one or two, hammers, screw-drivers, knives and automatic centre punches being popular. Carrying so few tools often means that they cannot break in at all in the first place they choose, and make several boss shots before finally succeeding. Prior knowledge of vulnerability is important here, since with the right knowledge they can take with them a suitable tool or manage without tools at all.
