THERE were 600 house break-ins in Bendigo in the last 12 months, 100 more than the previous year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That’s hundreds of people in Bendigo who have had their privacy violated, their safety compromised and, in many cases, the keys to their vehicle stolen to be used in further crime.
Of those break-ins, 30 per cent showed no sign of forced entry.
These statistics have frustrated Bendigo police, who have dedicated a new task force to breaking the trend, drawing on the expertise of uniform police and detectives from a number of units.
They formed four weeks ago, and the initiative was presented to the community during a media briefing at the Bendigo police station on Tuesday.
But even with the pooled resources, Superintendent Darren Franks said they could only do so much – especially when so many people were still leaving their houses and cars unlocked.
“I don’t think the community quite understands where they’re vulnerable,” he said.
“Most house burglaries occur during the day, not at night. That’s when you’re at work. You’ve got to make sure the house is suitably locked up and secure before you leave for work.
“That’s the number one priority as far as crime prevention goes.”
Break-ins rarely happen in isolation, police believe. If a car is stolen, then the offender is likely to continue committing crimes.
Car thefts have increased 50 per cent in Bendigo in 12 months.
“That then involves the police possibly getting into pursuits. It also involves – without the police being present – the dangerous driving that results in serious injury or even fatal collisions,” Superintendent Franks said.
“If you think as a homeowner it’s not important to put your keys away, then think about the consequences of that stolen car out in the community, and the impact on the community as a result.”
He recalled several instances in Bendigo in which cars were found with keys in the ignition, sometimes still running, while their owner was inside a nearby shop. In another case, a person had left their children in the car with the motor running.
Examples like these annoy officers, who fear for the resulting impact of the potential car theft. Fines can be issued for people who leave their cars running when they are not present.
With a “core group” of offenders known to police in the region, they are urging residents to use as much caution as necessary to protect their possessions.
So what’s driving the increase in opportunistic crime in the last 12 months?
A combination of drug-related crime and a rise in youth crime are among the major factors, according to local police.
Superintendent Franks does not believe stolen cars are being directly traded for drugs, but they are being used in further crime that can fuel drug habits.
“Generally stolen cars aren’t used as a trading commodity. It is around transport and getting to other locations to commit other crimes,” he said.
While the special unit will work with the community to cut thefts and burglaries in Bendigo, police will continue to actively seek to cut off supply lines of methamphetamine.
A team at Bendigo focuses specifically on drug trafficking across the region and have made numerous arrests in the last 12 months.
But when people are found in possession of a small amount of drugs for the first time, amounts described as “personal use”, law enforcement efforts can only go so far.
“Day-to-day, when we have contact with people that are offending with drugs, it’s about getting referrals, it’s about using cautioning notices or diversion notices for small amounts – people who have been caught the first time,” Superintendent Franks said.
“We don’t tend to spend as much time on those people, we hope that the referrals and diversion helps them out.
“We commit a lot of time and resources to drug traffickers, particularly commercial dealers.”
The traditional scene of police kicking in front doors and arresting “cooks” with vast meth labs has, in some ways, become a thing of the past.
The ease of production of ice, allowing it to be made in increasingly covert operations, has made policing local production increasingly difficult.
“Now you can get meth labs in the boot of a car, you can get them in caravans, you can get them in kitchens,” Superintendent Franks said.
“That’s another crime trend we have seen, it’s very mobile.
“We do still get them, it’s just that they’re smaller so they don’t perhaps draw as much attention.”
Tuesday’s announcement was not meant to alarm the residents of Bendigo.
If people took the proper precautions, it remained unlikely they would be the victim of a break-in or theft.
Superintendent Franks said it would take a combined effort from the entire community to create a safer Bendigo.
“I don’t expect us to stop every crime, I don’t expect the community to think they need 24/7 security and that type of thing, they shouldn’t have to,” he said.
“I just ask they consider what they do day to day around some of their practices.
“Don’t leave your keys in your car when you’re getting petrol, getting a coffee, picking up your mail.”