Victoria Police is urging the community to lock home and vehicle doors this summer, as new police intelligence reveals aggravated burglaries and car thefts have increased as the weather starts to heat up.
The intelligence released by Operation Trinity shows a spike in offending over the past month, with unlocked properties and vehicles continuing to be targeted by opportunistic thieves.
Between 17 August and 18 October this year, there was an average of 22 aggravated burglaries per week where a car was stolen.
While each burglary and car theft is one too many, this represented an almost 30% reduction in offending rates compared to the three months before Operation Trinity was first established.
Unfortunately, there has been a sharp increase in offending between 19 October and 9 November as the weather has begun to improve, with the weekly number of aggravated burglaries where a car was stolen rising to 32.
A significant number of these crimes have involved offenders accessing unlocked homes and vehicles.
Acting Superintendent Andrew McKee, Deputy Police Commander – Operation Trinity says: “Before you go to bed, double check all doors and windows are locked on your home and car as often this is all it takes to deter opportunistic burglars and thieves.”
“Other simple tips are letting a family member, friend, or neighbour know if you’re heading on holiday, so they can keep an eye on your house, collect your mail and take the bins in.”
“Other key deterrents include sensor lights and pets, with offenders often scared off when either of these are present.”
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/burglar-burglary-surveillance-camera-4194213/
