Some Resources from the Dallas Police Department

While researching the book, I found some good, basic crime-pattern-related resources on the Dallas Police Department website. 

Here is an example:

Suspicious Activity & Behaviors Indicators - Burglary

Residential burglaries literally hit close to home. There is almost nothing more personal than having your home, and your privacy, invaded by a criminal.

Behavior that may indicate a burglary or burglary in progress.

• Unfamiliar vehicles in the driveway or back alley of a residence with no apparent purpose to be at the location. These vehicles may or may not have visible license plates. You may also see them driving at nighttime with their headlights off.
• Unfamiliar persons in the yard or backyard, looking into windows.
• Any attempt to force open windows or doors of a building or residence.
• Unfamiliar persons taking items from a building or apartment while the owners are not at the location.
• Burglars may stack household items by the door or window for easy retrieval when leaving the residence.
• Unfamiliar persons leaving a location in a hurried manner with items in hand. These items could include, but are not limited to, TV’s, Laptops, etc.
• Burglars may use several types of transportation to carry stolen items that could include a grocery cart, stroller, or any other equipment with wheels

There are a few more criminal activity types on the site - and while these indicators are general, it is important to educate the community as a means of preventing some crimes from happening in the first place.

Some of the burglary behaviors may show up in suspicious person reports that may then later be linked to an actual serial burglary pattern.