By NATALIE GALLENTI-BREKALO
POLICE are warning residents to adequately secure their home after they were called out to almost 5000 residential burglaries across Melbourne’s West during the 2012-2013 financial year.
Commander Doug Fryer said police were fed up with seeing these staggering statistics and called on the community to take steps to improve home security and deter opportunistic burglars over the Easter holiday period.
“Locking your windows and doors might seem like common sense steps, but our statistics show that not everyone is taking them,” Commander Fryer said.
“It’s frustrating that police have to respond to these incidents, many of which could possibly have been prevented.”
Commander Fryer said some steps the community could take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of burglary include locking all windows and doors, even when you’re at home – unlocked side and rear doors are the most common entry points for burglars – installing deadlocks on all external doors and windows, cutting overhanging branches away from your house to make it harder for burglars to hide, let your neighbours know if you’re going to be away for a few days and reporting any suspicious behaviour immediately to police via triple zero.
For more tips and advice on protecting yourself from residential burglary as well as other general crime prevention tips, download the Residential Crime Prevention Information Kit or a Crime Prevention Fact Sheet at www.police.vic.gov.au.
