Aussies step up to fight against crime

Burglaries and home break-ins have made us far more conscious of security, writes

MEAGHAN Evans, 24, and her adult sister were asleep at their mother’s home last year when it was burgled.

Luckily, their mum was away with friends for the night, as her downstairs bedroom was ransacked.

“Mum came home in the morning and the first thing she asked from downstairs was ‘have we been robbed’?” Ms Evans said.

“One of our big kitchen knives was in the middle of her bedroom floor and the room was a mess. Handbags had been emptied, jewellery taken and me and my sister’s laptops were stolen too.”

Originally baffled at how the thief had gained access, apparently through a tiny window which seemed far too small for a human.

“We found out from the police that the burglar was female, she’d actually pushed open a louvre window and slid through,” Ms Evans said.

“It was only about 500mm wide, so wouldn’t have been easy. It was also about 2m off the ground, so she found an outdoor chair to stand on.

“The fact we were asleep upstairs was terrifying and the fact she took our knife to Mum’s bedroom.”

This was the third time the Evans’ home had been broken into and while there were security alarms installed, they were turned off for fear they would be set off by the family’s two wandering cats.

“About $20,000 worth was stolen and we got some back on insurance, but Mum had a bit of trouble proving everything,” Ms Evans said.

“She’d kept receipts and taken photos having been burgled before, but not of our laptops obviously. My sister’s whole thesis was saved on her laptop so she was hysterical.

“I live with my partner now and am always a bit scared. I’m hyper alert. After I moved out we made Mum put in new security cameras, which she can access from her phone.

“Mum now feels 1000 times better and we feel better for her safety.”

The Evans’ story is not uncommon, with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures showing crime is up 5 per cent this year.

Recent YouGov research, commissioned by

Nest, a security company that offers home surveillance products, revealed

30 per cent of Australians have had their homes burgled at some time.

Laptops are the items Aussies most fear being stolen in a home invasion, named by 61 per cent, the Nest research revealed. Family heirlooms (48 per cent), money (44 per cent), mobile phones (44 per cent) and cars or motorbikes (37 per cent) were next.

Meanwhile 35 per cent cared the most about a pet being stolen, putting furry friends on an equal paw with jewellery and just ahead of televisions (30 per cent).

Security lights with motion sensors were installed by 34 per cent of respondents, ahead of extra bolts and locks (32 per cent) and bars on windows (29 per cent) when it came to preventative measures. These were followed by high fences (27 per cent), alarms (27 per cent) and guard dogs (21 per cent).

Only 16 per cent had an outdoor security camera and 15 per cent had a camera indoors, but the popularity of security cameras was on the rise, said Nest’s Maxime Veron.

“Security today is becoming more thoughtful,” Mr Veron said.

“With many crimes being opportunistic, particularly those involving parcel theft or vandalism, a visible outdoor security camera acts as an effective deterrent.”

Meanwhile, iSelect CEO Scott Wilson said many Australians have lost faith in insurance companies.

“Customers aren’t simply willing to rely on insurance … but are instead looking for ways to reduce the likelihood of a break-in in the first place,” Mr Wilson

said. BORROWING WATCH