Drop in burglaries earns praise
Albany Police Station’s top cop has praised the community and his officers after a decrease in burglaries in the city during the past year.
Picture by Malcolm Heberle
Senior Sergeant Peter McLean, said the 2.8 per cent drop in burglaries to April was a direct result of improved community engagement, strategic policing and technology.
With two months still to go in the financial year, Snr Sgt McLean said he hoped the downward trend would continue.
He said January this year had a 20 per cent decrease in burglaries compared to 2011, traditionally the month when thieves strike most.
While the city has had an overall decrease in burglaries, six suburbs have been hotspots for burglars.
Lower King, Central Park, Mira Mar, Mt Melville, Spencer Park, and Yakamia have all had an increase in burglaries this financial year compared to 2010-11, with two months of data collecting remaining.
Lower King has already had a 66 per cent jump, while Mt Melville with 44 per cent and Mira Mar with 38 per cent were the worst three suburbs. Snr Sgt McLean said most break-ins were the result of unlocked doors and windows, but a Burglary Reduction Strategy implemented last year had helped raise community awareness and achieve the overall burglary reduction.
The strategy included the mail out of an anti-burglary information pack to households last September.
“It’s a way to get the public thinking about the safety of themselves and their belongings so that they can put security precautions in place,” Snr Sgt McLean said.
He said it was sometimes difficult to get residents to understand the growth of the City of Albany meant there was the likelihood of increased crime.
But Snr Sgt McLean praised the public for providing police with intelligence that had helped them in their fight against burglars.
“Data is logged and we are able to figure out how best to deploy resources and where to send regular patrol cars,” he said.
Snr Sgt McLean said improvements to DNA testing had also helped officers accurately identify offenders, leading to more arrests.
