Residents warned as burglary spree continues

Police are urging residents to secure their homes after a spate of 13 burglaries in less than a week.

Constable Brendan Grogan said between Monday, May 6, and Sunday, May 12, there were burglaries in Little Grove, Goode Beach, Collingwood Park, Lockyer, Emu Point, Middleton, Orana and Bayonet Head between 2am and 7am, suspected to have been committed by the same few offenders.

“Albany has become viewed as a soft target by criminals due to the blatant and continual disregard for vehicle and home security,” Const. Grogan said.

“Albany is still a fantastic place to live but is not an idyllic small town anymore where security is not an issue,” he said.

Const. Grogan said the majority of the burglaries were opportunistic crimes targeting small, easily removable items such as keys, wallets, handbags and mobile phones.

“We urge the public to secure their property, including sheds and vehicles, and to not leave valuables on display to avoid being a victim of theft,” he said.

Const. Grogan said investigations were hampered by a lack of forensic evidence as many homes were unlocked when burgled.

“While investigations are ongoing, an unlocked house limits investigative inquiries by police as forensics evidence is minimal … we understand people don’t want to feel like a prisoner in their own home but from a police point of view it’s about maximising your chances of an offender being loca8ted,” he said.

Const. Grogan said police were aware of information regarding burglaries posted on an Albany Crime Report Facebook page, that was not reported to police quickly.

“There is information on that website that would be hugely valuable to police at the time it is being posted, but the majority of that information is passed on to officers well after the incident has occurred, which is disappointing,” he said.

“We would appeal to the public to notify police immediately to maximise the likelihood of offenders being located and preventing other crimes … it doesn’t matter how small or insignificant you think the information may be, it could assist police.”

If you have any information, contact Albany Police Station on 9892 9300.