Burglary is predominantly a rational crime in which the major motivation is financial gain. Despite the similarity of motive among offenders, they differ with respect to rationality, planning, organization, skills, and determination. These types of offenders can be characterized as planners, searchers, and opportunists (i.e., those who select and inform themselves about a target well in advance, those who seek a suitable target and burgle it, and those who are stimulated by the availability of an opportunity to steal). While security hardware is of relatively minor significance in the choice of a target, other factors do exert an influence. These include perceived wealth of the occupants, signs of occupancy or occupants' absence, degree of cover and ease of access, and quality of potential escape routes. Other factors are associated with environmental risk, such as type of neighborhood, proximity of the target to other housing, and visibility from public areas. These findings suggest that traditional target-hardening approaches to burglary prevention should be supplemented by alternatives based on an understanding of burglars' attitudes and behaviors, including community surveillance, property marking, and environmental design. 23 references.