A CONCERNED resident of a street in the Delroy Park precinct of Dubbo will install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at his property after being the target of a pair of break-ins in recent months which he estimates has seen goods worth in excess of $50,000 stolen.
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The Riviera Drive home owner, who did not wish to be identified, received some good news late on Monday when the vehicle stolen from his family's premises on the night of January 30 was recovered in Silkwood Avenue after it was reported to police as being parked suspiciously in the street.
Despite the vehicle being tracked down, the man is still apprehensive about the spike in crime in the area which borders on Dubbo Golf Club.
He came to the Daily Liberal after being triggered by a story last week in which local police implored residents to lock up their homes to avoid succumbing to opportunistic thieves roaming the streets at night.
"It's the second time we have been broken in to since September," he said.
"We'd lived in the street for about four-and-a-half years and then in September someone broke in and stole my keys and company vehicle. It was found a week or so later burned out near Cowra
"They also stole my wife's handbag and some other items from the house. Our daughter had been sick at the time and my wife was up a fair bit at night with her but it was just lucky that she wasn't up when whoever it was came into our house."
Admitting to still being rattled from the first break-in, the man said he was forced to look into home surveillance after his house was again targeted just last weekend.
As well as the cameras he admits he is also looking at investing in a guard dog.
"This time they took the garage remote from my car and used it to open the garage and steal my wife's Holden Rodeo dual cab ute," the man said.
"They also took some other items from the house and garage as well as keys and tools. We were all at home when the second one occurred.
"The scary thing is we weren't the only ones targeted that night. Other cars in our street were also damaged and the following night we had neighbours, knowing that our house keys were missing knocking on our door at 11.20pm saying there were four teenagers with backpacks roaming around looking through cars and the sides of houses again.
"My work covered the cost of the first car, that was probably around $34,000, this car was worth maybe $15,000 or so and the other items like laptop computers and things would bring it to close to $50,000.
"Now we have to go to the cost of getting CCTV cameras put in, and my wife's family live in the street as well and they're doing the same. We shouldn't have to do that."
Inspector Jason Pietruszka confirmed forensic testing of the stolen Rodeo was to be done, and investigations into the matter are continuing.
He also reminded residents of the need to be vigilant with their belongings.
"In this particular instance now that we have recovered the vehicle we will await the forensic examinations. Our investigations are continuing," Inspector Peitruszka said.
"On a wider level we want people to be aware that a lot of these incidents are opportunistic.
"What we find in some cases is that people might leave things like laptops, iPhones, iPads in their cars and these perpetrators see the items and go for them.
"If there is nothing in the vehicles for these people they tend not to bother.
"It's the same with houses. Making sure doors and windows are locked makes it that much harder for people to get in, and it helps us with our job of trying to make people feel safe in their own home."