108 Burglaries Last Month

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 1

108 Burglaries Last Month

Burglars in Christchurch last month stole £9285 in cash and goods. They broke into 51 business premises, 45 houses, and 12 schools and kindergartens to collect the biggest haul of any month this year.

“Most businessmen I are slow to learn,” | commented DetectiveSergeant D. C. Lee, the j Christchurch crime I prevention officer, yes- | terday. “One-third of 51 business' premises burgled last month had been broken into previously. Most of them had been broken into within the last three months, and all within the iMt year. “But less than 4 per cent of the businessmen in Christchurch who have suffered losses in burglaries in the last three months have taken steps to make their premises more secure. “Simple” Answer "There are thousands of business premises in the heart of Christchurch alone, and hundreds of them have never been broken into. The answer is quite simple—those premises require a great deal of breaking into,” Mr Lee said. The £9285 loss in burglaries last month compared with £2469 in June, and about £5OOO in May. “The figures last month were boosted by £3OOO worth of rings and jewellery stolen in one smash-and-grab raid.” Mr Lee said. “But even counting this out. the figure is up on the previous two months “Glass is the weak point in almost all the business premises broken into—plateglass windows, rear windows and louvres. Glass in business premises containing cash and valuable goods is not sufficient protection by itself. “Grilles on display windows, bars inside side, rear, and louvre windows, lights left on, and burglar alarms—these are only some of the means of making premises more secure. “Burglars in Christchurch last month did £509 worth of damage. Of this. £354 was in broken windows. Much of the remainder of the damage was caused by sheer wanton destruction after entry had been easily gained, “The C. 1.8. recovered about £4OOO worth of the £9OOO of

[property stolen last month. | In three instances, detectives picked up the offenders and recovered the stolen property before the owners were even aware their premises had been burgled.” Mr Lee said. In many cases, the offenders were juveniles, youths, or young men. Many of the houses burgled had been entered through unsecured windows or unlocked doors, or with keys hidden in obvious places. “The youthfulness of the offenders and the wanton destruction done by them to premises, fittings, and goods on many occasions are further proof that burglary is made too easy in Christchurch,” Mr Lee said.