By ALESHA CAPONE
ARDEER, Sunshine and Albion have been named among the state’s top 10 burglary hotspots.
Last week, the RACV released its annual list of postcode burglary rates in Victoria.
Ardeer was fourth on the list, with one in 27 homes reportedly getting burgled during the year.
The postcode of 3020, which covers Albion and Sunshine, was 10th on the RACV list.
The RACV report showed one in every 36 homes within the two suburbs have been burgled.
The figures also said one in every 42 houses in St Albans, Kings Park and Kealba have been targeted by burglars.
In Sydenham, Hillside, Taylors Hill and Delahey, one in every 45 residences have been burgled.
Across Deer Park, Cairnlea and Caroline Springs, one in every 54 homes recorded the crime.
Close by in Keilor, one in every 56 premises recorded a burglary during 2013.
One out of 69 homes in Taylors Lakes and Keilor Downs recorded a burglary this year.
At the lower end of the scale, one house out of 81 was burgled in East Keilor and one out of every 84 residential addresses in Brooklyn.
RACV’s general manager of home services, Peter Brindley, said Melbourne’s burglary profile was now dominated by middle and outer suburbs, with no inner-city suburbs making the top 10.
However, Mr Brindley said the “vast majority” of burglaries remained unsolved and prevention was an important aspect of the issue.
“Prevention is the key to avoiding the financial cost and emotional trauma of invasion of your home and your personal space,” he said.
“Connecting professional security monitoring to your home alarm is an effective deterrent to predatory thieves.
“It is also important to get in the habit of ensuring doors and windows are locked when you go out, ensuring paper and mail deliveries are put on hold when you go on holidays and of not sharing details of when you are away from home on open social media networks.”
