By ANEEKA SIMONIS
STREETS in the south-east could soon be under 24/7 police surveillance as residents with CCTV systems are enlisted to be the eyes and ears of criminal investigators working to drive down the rising rate of aggravated home burglaries and car-jackings.
Residents in Cardinia, Casey and Dandenong are being encourage to sign up to a CCTV database, as police ramp up their investigative efforts following a spate of attacks on homes in recent months.
Proactive Policing Unit Sergeant Brad Johnstone said the database would be invaluable to investigation, particularly as they work to quash an emerging opportunistic crime trend, where offenders try a series of homes and cars until they find their target.
“In our area, the intelligence tells us that in some cases offenders walk the street and attempt multiple houses or garages before they find one that is unlocked or easily accessible,” he said.
Recent crime stats show 670 burglary and break-and-enter offences occurred Cardinia Shire in the past year, spiking 35 per cent, while theft offences soared 39 per cent to 2306 recorded offences.
But more concerning is the increasingly violent attacks carried out by home invaders, such as the emerging Apex youth-gang, known to use weapons on people caught off guard in their own homes.
New or under-development housing estates are working out to be a hard hit area in the south-east division, according to Leading Senior Constable Frank Bailey.
He said investigative and civilian forces are already uniting on the quest to solve and deter crimes, with a number of residents already signing up for CCTV access to police in the few days it has been since the initiative was launched.
Home surveillance installations are becoming a growing trend in the region.
Leading Sen Const Bailey said home invasion victims often went on to install security, including CCTV, alarms and sensor systems, at their home after their brush with intruders, and the same security precautions were often taken on board by surrounding neighbours.
A divisional CCTV database, only accessible to police, is intended to help solve crime faster, and free up investigative resources, according to Sgt Johnstone.
“When an incident occurs we have to door knock every house in the area to identify if there is CCTV available and this takes up vital time,” he said.
“If community members register their details with us, when a crime occurs we can contact them straight away and ask for their assistance.”
If you’d like to register, send the following details to CPOSD3@police.vic.gov.au:
* Name, address and contact number.
* Description of area covered by CCTV.
* Type of recording system (hard drive, direct to computer, etc).
* How to copy footage (USB, CD, DVD, etc).
