they don’t have to be master thieves, they’re DEDICATED thieves, and motivated. The simple fact is in a world where most people go to work leaving empty houses being a thief is pretty easy, get in the backyard, break a window, go in, empty the house. Sorry but they aren’t that easy to spot, and they don’t get arrested that often. My nephew-in-law is a junky who has supported his habit mostly through theft, during the course of the family slowly but surely accepting that there’s a scumbag among we opened one of his dresser drawer and it had THOUSANDS of pawn slips. He’d been robbing the neighborhood blind for years, and the only thing he’s EVER been arrested for is getting caught with paraphernalia, which is punished by a fine, that he doesn’t pay. If the price of heroin tripled it would just mean more of David’s neighbors’ stuff would wind up at the pawn shop.
So the family and the neighbors are clueless and unable to defend themselves while this drug addict breaks windows to break into their houses, steals them blind and takes things to get pawned. I assume the drug addict does not have a job.
I don't mean to be rude but either your story is untrue or your family and neighbors are incredibly naive. If everyone in the world was as naive as your family and your neighbors then maybe your theory would bear scrutiny. Most people would have figured this out much sooner and would have had him arrested.