Appleby residents urged to be vigilant

Invercargill police want people living in Appleby to keep their eyes and ears open as they try to blunt a spike in crime in the area.

Inspector Olaf Jensen said that during August there had been a disproportionate increase of crime in Appleby, particularly burglaries and thefts from inside cars.

There had been seven reported burglaries and 15 car break-ins, he said.

Mr Jensen said the thieves were targeting electronic equipment and tools with most of the offending happening during the night, between midnight and 6am.

All 22 incidents happened within the boundaries of Teviot, Nith, Ohara and Ness streets.

The cluster of activity pointed to the likelihood the offenders lived in the area, he said.

"This crime is not random and there is a clear pattern."

Another pattern that emerged was that more than half of the vehicles broken into were properly secured and had valuable property visible inside, Mr Jensen said.

Some of the targeted vehicles were parked in driveways or on the road, he said.

Police have been working in the area to identify insecure property and remove the possibility for crime to be committed, Mr Jensen said. But there were practical steps everyone should follow, including ensuring cars and garages were locked and removing valuables from cars, he said.

Any suspicious behaviour should be reported to Invercargill police.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Newest First

Oldest First