Burglaries down after police swoop | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Rotorua police have cracked down on suspected burglars in the city after 50 houses in the Rotorua district were burgled in just one week.

Their tough stance has seen the burglaries drop the following week (June 28 to July 4) to 18, Rotorua police Acting Inspector Ed Van Den Broek said.

Police achieved their reduction by catching a couple of groups of offenders, including one that had four members, two aged 14, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. They have been charged with two burglaries.

He said the other group was well-known to the police and information from members of the public as well as good police work led to their arrests.

The recent spike of 50 burglaries in the Rotorua district in one week at the end of June was "very much against the norm" and was about double the number of burglaries normally reported to police, Mr Van Den Broek said.

In the week July 5 to July 11 only 23 burglaries were reported, which was a good result, he said, because normally burglaries rose during the school holidays and that had not happened during this holiday period, he said.

High profile policing in the CBD had been effective, he said.

One Western Heights resident whose home was burgled on June 16 said police had found some of her property which had been stolen.

Family jewellery and the woman's flat screen television had been stolen.

A few days later a police officer went to the woman's house with pieces of jewellery the police had found in a raid, the woman said.

A signet ring and a bracelet belonging to the woman were returned to her. The woman, who didn't want to be named, said she was putting up security screens on her windows and was going to have a burglar alarm installed.

"I worked until I was 65 to get everything I've got and these bums just walk into your house and help themselves to anything they want."

Another Western Heights resident, who also didn't want to be named, said her house was burgled on Tuesday, June 15, when burglars broke in through her son's bedroom window. "They took our 42-inch big screen TV, they took my son's PS3 and PlayStation and PS2 PlayStation and about seven games and his wallet and cellphone and his ghettoblaster."

But police found the family's television.

"We're so grateful we got our TV back," the woman said.

The woman said her husband had secured the windows in their house and installed an alarm. She said she and her family were far more vigilant about security. "We're far more cautious now," she said.

The woman said they had lived in their house for 11 years and it was the first time they had been burgled.

Mr Van Den Broek said the police were well aware of public surveys that clearly stated the number one safety concern for the Rotorua public was having their houses burgled.

"That is why reducing burglaries will remain a top priority in our day-to-day business," Mr Van Den Broek said.

"It is also a timely reminder for the public to consider their own home's security. It is important to lock your doors, consider joining, or setting up a neighbour support group in your area, fitting a burglar alarm and not to advertise any valuables that you have at home by placing large screen televisions visible from the street. Also keeping a record of serial numbers makes it easier for police to identify stolen property.

"If you see something suspicious, it probably is and the police want to hear about it as soon as possible. Call 111 and report what you see and get as much information as possible such as a car registration number."