Albany Police are poised to launch a new crime prevention initiative in a bid to reduce burglary in the community.

The Keep it Safe Albany project is planned to officially begin next Tuesday.

About 100 vulnerable community members, including the elderly and victims of repeat burglaries, have been invited to the launch at the Albany Entertainment Centre, where they will receive free anti-burglary kits from police.

Senior Constable Craig Turton said the campaign was another proactive strategy to minimise burglary-related crime in the district.

“We had eight burglaries over the weekend, 75 per cent of which were through unsecured doors or windows,” he said.

“The whole aim is to make crime more difficult, more risky and less rewarding for burglars when the community and police work together.

“People have to help themselves to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of burglary.”

Keep it Safe Albany mirrors a strategy first implemented in 2008 throughout the Mullewa district by then officer-in-charge Sergeant Tam McKeown.

Sgt McKeown, now OIC of Wickepin, said adoption of the tactic in numerous policing districts, including Narrogin, Cranbrook and Pingelly, had positive effects on reducing burglary.

“To have a 90 per cent decrease in Mullewa and a 60 per cent decrease in Narrogin from the same period one year on shows the figures speak for themselves,” Sgt McKeown said.

Sen. Const. Turton said a $22,500 grant from the Office of Crime Prevention would fund the mailing of about 10,000 security packs to Albany households.

Each pack contains motion activated door alarms, UV pens, a burglary beware DVD and home security advice.

Police are set to receive UV torches to help identify stolen property, 90 per cent of which is recovered never returns to its rightful owners.

Bunnings Albany has also jumped aboard the campaign, donating hundreds of blank keys and offering discount prices on home security items.

Sen. Const. Turton said Albany police’s last anti-burglary campaign, which began in February, resulted in a significant crime decrease over the following six months.