Burglar (The Sims)

Burglar is a recurring villain in The Sims video game series. The character is programmed to steal items from homes and other lots.

Behavior
A burglar appears late at night or when a lot is vacant. He or she will focus on stealing generally expensive items such as big screen TV's. A burglar's appearance is random but he/she is also rare. Any burglar might steal an item that is under the aspiration category. A burglar is also likely to appear whenever a Sim is sleeping whether in the day or night.

Influences
A burglary can have negative effects on other Sims. For example, Sims will develop a fear of burglars if they are robbed. Also, Sims will be scared if they directly encounter a burglar.

Alarms
Installing a burglar alarm will summon the police. An alarm installed indoors will immediately activate when the burglar steps in the building. If an alarm is installed on the outside wall of a building, then it will activate once the burglar arrives at the lot. In both scenarios, the police will arrive shortly to arrest the burglar.

Fighting
In The Sims 3, brave Sims have an power to fight a burglar. Winning the fight will cause the burglar to leave. Losing won't have any effect on the burglar. Items that were already stolen will not be returned.

Personal Assistant
Sims with a Silver or Gold Robotics Badge can craft sentry bots. These bots are designed to patrol a house. They will use an electric current to cause a burglar to run away.

Pet
A pet with an aggressive personality is able to chase a burglar away.

Police
A sim can call the police. When the police arrive, an officer will attempt to apprehend the burglar. A fight will begin between both sides. If the officer wins then the burglar will be arrested. Otherwise, the burglar will immediately escape. Depending on the amount of time for the police to respond, a burglar might escape before an officer arrives.

Trivia

 * A burglar is normally accompanied by eerie music. This is a hint about their arrival.
 * Prior to The Sims 3, burglars aren't interactive.
 * A burglar is likelier to rob wealthy places. This doesn't exclude cheaper places.
 * Whenever the police manages to catch a burglar, they will reward the victims with a certain amount of money.
 * If a burglar manages to steal item(s) before he or she is caught, then those will be kept as evidence. The victims will be reimbursed.
 * During any burglary, Buy mode and Build mode are disabled.
 * A Sim can be woken up to call the police.

If the player tries to wake up a Sim while there is a burglar, it is unlikely that the Sim will wake up, get to a phone, and call the police in time to catch him. Even if the player does this as soon as the burglar appears, it is not certain that the Sim will be able to call the police in time.