Police across our region are urging the community to help them prevent theft of personal items from homes and cars by locking their doors and windows.
Police have been promoting the ‘Lock it or Lose it’ message for several months in an effort to prevent opportunistic thefts in the Chifley area.
Minister for Police and Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said the message was simple – lock up your items or risk losing them.
“Our police do a fantastic job responding to, investigating and preventing crime, and we need to do our bit prevent unnecessary and avoidable incidents from occurring,” Mr Toole said.
“When it comes to the security of your personal items at home or in your vehicle, stop and think about the consequences of losing your personal items altogether.”
Chifley Police Sergeant Darryl Goodwin said following simple steps could mean the difference between becoming a victim or not.
“Theft of personal items such as wallets, credit cards, car keys, vehicles, tools and mail can create major inconveniences for the victim, not to mention the financial impact,” Sgt Goodwin said.
“These stolen items can then be used by criminals to conduct additional crimes, creating a snowball effect that is frustrating and potentially frightening for everyone involved.
“Theft is most often avoidable and we need the community’s help to remove the opportunity for people looking to do the wrong thing.”
The community is reminded to follow these simple steps:
- Ensure premises and vehicles are always locked and secure when absent, even if it’s for a short period of time.
- Install an alarm system if possible.
- Ensure trees and shrubs are trimmed so that they can be used for concealment.
- Mark valuable property and records their details.
- Store car keys out of view.
- Don’t leave garage remotes in your car.
- When away from long periods, consider redirecting your mail or have someone collect it regularly.
- Avoid advertising your travel plans on social media.
