By XAVIER SMERDON
AGGRAVATED burglaries in Wyndham are on the rise but more than half of them are avoidable, one of the areas highest ranking police has claimed. Detective Senior Sergeant John Johnston, who leads Wyndham’s Crime Investigation Unit, told Star that along with aggravated burglaries, the number of thefts of and from cars was also increasing in the municipality.
“Overall the number of aggravated burglaries in Wyndham are low, at about nine a month, but I would say at least five of those are preventable,” Det Sen Sgt Johnston said.
“Four is a much lower number. “Incidents where people are seriously hurt are rare but we are starting to see a gentle trend upwards and that’s a trend we don’t want to see.”
According to Det Sen Sgt Johnston about 30 per cent of thefts from cars were number plates and many incidents occurred while the car was parked at its owners address or even in the driveway.
“A lot of these incidents are also happening while the vehicles are unlocked and we are still seeing an enormous amount of number plates being stolen,” he said.
“Those number plates are still out in the community and they are often being used for some other purpose.” Aggravated burglaries and thefts of and from cars take vital time away from Wyndham’s police and Det Sen Sgt Johnston said by taking simple measures residents could reduce their risk of being targeted by petty criminals.
“There are certain things that people can do and when we don’t secure our properties then people are utilising that opportunity to take advantage of us,” he said. “A lot of these crimes are opportunistic because when people leave their car unlocked or leave a wallet in plain sight then that is just an open invitation to thieves and they are accepting that opportunity.”
The top three ways residents can reduce the risk of being stung by criminals, according to Det Sen Sgt Johnston, are to secure their homes both when they are home and when they are not, ensure their vehicle is locked and valuables are either removed or hidden and using theft free screws, which can be bought at hardware stores, to secure their car’s number plates.
