Hot spot burglary suburbs

Clyde, Clyde North and Cardinia are in the top 10 riskiest suburbs for a burglary, according to the RACV. Picture: VICTORIAN BURGLARY STATISTICS

By Mitchell Clarke

One in 46 homes within the suburbs of Cardinia, Clyde and Clyde North is at risk of being burgled, making it the second most dangerous area in greater Melbourne.

Figures from RACV’s annual Burglary Statistics report, which uses data from Victoria Police, indicates one in 91 Victorian homes were victims of a burglary in 2019, equating to one break and enter every 20 minutes.

In Pakenham, one in 134 homes is at risk of being targeted, a decrease from one in 85 in 2018 while at Officer, which has a smaller population, one in 74 homes could face trouble.

Gembrook MP Brad Battin has hit out at the State Government, claiming the “troubling statistics” had left residents of Cardinia and Casey concerned for their families safety.

“Under Labor, Victoria and especially Clyde has become a hotbed for crime,” Mr Battin said.

“Daniel Andrews is more concerned about hiring media advisors for his Facebook page than funding vital emergency services to keep residents safe.”

Mr Battin claimed the statistics were a direct result of the State Government failing to provide the suburb of Clyde with a new police station.

“Enough is enough, how many more residents are to become victims of burglaries before Daniel Andrews and Labor prioritise vital funding for a new police station,” he questioned.

“They must provide what they promised to residents and stop leaving them to defend for themselves and the hands of burglars.”

Despite the concerning statistics in this pocket, residential burglary is on a general downward trend, according to Victoria Police.

When asked if there were any plans to implement a station in Clyde, a government spokesperson said they’d “continue to give Victoria Police the support and resources they need to tackle these kinds of crimes”.

“Our record $2 billion investment is delivering 3135 additional new police, of which more than 1900 have already been allocated or deployed to communities,” the spokesperson said.

“The latest round of crime stats has seen the lowest rate of burglary and break and enter offences in a decade and the lowest number of offences since July 2004.”

But RACV general manager Raymond Orre said Victorians were still rightly concerned.

“Until crime rates are at zero, there is still reason for concern and more importantly, action,” Mr Orre said.

The advice to residents is “simple”, according to Neighbourhood Watch Cardinia chairperson David Farrelly, who said between 30-70 percent of home burglaries occur as a result of unlocked doors and windows.

“Simple tips like locking your doors can make a very significant difference,” Mr Farrelly said.

A free online quiz, ‘How Safe Is My Place’ has been created to try and get residents to think about their own home security and what measures they can take to protect their home.

While Clyde is a booming suburb and Cardinia remains a small township, a general message applies to all suburbs throughout the south east – get to know your neighbours.

“When you get to know your neighbours, you become familiar with their patterns, the types of cars in the street and that way you can begin to pick up on any suspicious behaviour and report it to police,” Mr Farrelly said.

To find out if your property is safe, visit www.howsafeismyplace.com.au.