Rockbank and Plumpton residents have a one in 25 chance of having their homes burgled, according to the RACV’s annual analysis of burglary hot spots.
The suburbs ranked third in the Greater Melbourne area’s top-10 hotspots for burglaries. Nearby Diggers Rest ranked seventh, with one in 32 houses being burgled in the past financial year.
Figures showed that about half of the top-10 postcodes, including Rockbank, Plumpton and Diggers Rest, contain new housing estates and that aggravated incidents were on the rise.
RACV public policy and corporate affairs manager Bryce Prosser said several factors made new housing estates across the state more attractive for burglars.
“We believe this could be because new homes include new appliances and often adjoin vacant blocks, which aid quick entry and exit,” Mr Prosser said.
“With many people at work during the day these newer suburbs are much easier targets.”
But with one Victorian household burgled every 15 minutes, Mr Prosser said there were actions residents could take to reduce their risk.
“Our analysis tells us one in six (17 per cent) of all break-ins occur through an unlocked or open door or window,” he said.
“Victorians can easily prevent these occurrences by locking up when leaving the home and being mindful of locking doors while at home.
“With 42 per cent of burglaries through a forced entry, it is important to ensure locks on all entries are secure.”
He said that installing good-quality locks on doors and windows and installing curtains and blinds to remove valuable items from plain sight is a good place to start.
The statistics also showed that aggravated burglary rates were on the rise, jumping 11 per cent in the 12 months to June.
Most aggravated burglaries – 74 per cent – happened between 7pm and 6am, with the highest volumes between 11pm and midnight.
Cardinia, Clyde and Clyde North topped the state’s metropolitan burglary hot spots for the second year in a row. Find out how your postcode ranks at www.racv.com.au/burgstats
