Our Neighbourhood Support Co-ordinator, Frank Averes, has alerted us to be sure to lock up our houses, sheds and garages. Unfortunately, Waikawa Beach isn’t remote enough for thieves to ignore us:
This email is just to alert the wider community to a burglary in the village last night (Thursday, 07 December 2017) where a number of items were stolen from a garage. This was in the central village area.
Please check your properties when you are next able to, and if anything is untoward, do report it to the police as quick as you can.
Make sure your properties are secure when you leave. Note, out buildings are still vulnerable even if you are close by and asleep, so double check your buildings are securely locked each night.
Update: I’ve just learned of a further burglary last night [Saturday, 9 December 2017], closer to the southern end of the main village. This one involved a motor bike, so if you come across an abandoned bike, or anything unusual, please do report it.
How to protect your home
NZ Police say:
- Always lock up. Burglars often enter through unlocked doors and windows or they take advantage of weak locks.
- Install good quality locks and use them. Check that you will be able to escape easily in a fire or other emergency.
- Use a reputable locksmith.
- Lock the front door if you’re in the back garden.
- Lock your house if you are having a rest or doing something that needs a lot of concentration, such as studying or sewing.
- Lock away tools and ladders because burglars could use them to break in.
- Lock garden sheds and your garage if you can.
- Sensor lights are an excellent security device because they light up automatically if somebody moves nearby.
- Keep trees and shrubs trimmed so they don’t provide hiding places for burglars.
- Keep windows secure.
- Guard your keys. Don’t have personal details on your keys (such as your name, phone number or address). Don’t leave house keys with your car keys when your car is being serviced.
- Don’t invite burglars in – never leave notes on a door stating that you are out.
- When you go away, make sure your home looks ‘lived in’.