Aussie police concerned by rising number of home burglaries

Police in the Australian state of Victoria on Wednesday expressed concern over the growing rates of home burglary which increased by 10 percent over the past year.

One in 68 homes was burgled in Victoria in 2015-16, up from one in 74 homes the previous year.

The south-east Melbourne suburbs of Cardinia, Clyde and Clyde North recorded the worst burglary rates, with an alarming one in 19 homes being burgled last year.

Other hot spots included the suburbs of Rockbank (one in 20 homes), Wollert (one in 21), Frankston North (one in 26), Officer (one in 28) and Heidelberg Heights (one in 30).

The most commonly stolen items were cash, electrical appliances and jewellery, which were often visible to criminals from outside the targeted houses.

Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) home services and security general manager Aaron Flavell joined police on Wednesday in urging people to reduce the risks of being burgled.

"A concerning fact is that a high proportion of burglaries take place when doors and windows have been left unlocked," Flavell said Wednesday. He also urged people to lock doors at all times as a preventative measure.

"Thieves look for easy entry into homes to make sure that your doors, windows, side gates and rear entries are well secured with locks made to Australian Standards," he said.

While the rise in burglaries was concerning, police said only 7 percent were aggravated burglaries and the vast majority of those were non-violent.

A Victoria Police spokesman urged victims to call the emergency "000" number in the event of a burglary, rather than being involved in physical confrontation with home invaders. Enditem