BLUE Security has warned residents not to keep valuables inside their vehicles even if hidden out of sight and locked behind gates.
Blue Security operations manager Brian Jackson said several incidents of theft out of motor vehicles had been reported across the Berea over the past week.
“Unfortunately, cases have been reported where criminals have tampered with gate motors to open gates just to break into vehicles parked on a property. Items stolen have included a Garmin, an iPhone, a laptop, jumper cables, a pressure pump and several bags,” he said.
Incidents were reported in York Road in Glenwood, Venice Road in Morningside, Bellevue Road in Musgrave and Buxton Gardens in Umbilo.
“We advise residents not to leave valuables lying in their vehicles even if they are out of sight as criminals tend to take a chance and break in to look inside cubby holes and under seats in the hope of finding valuables. It might also be difficult to claim successfully from insurance in such cases, so it’s best to be safe and always take valuables out of the car when it is parked at home at night,” he said.
Jackson said business premises in Florida Road, Windermere Road and Gale Street were hit by burglars last week.
“In one incident in Florida Road at 6am last Tuesday housebreakers forced open the pedestrian gate and then forced open the security gate and door and fled with a till. In the second incident just ten minutes later criminals damaged the gate motor and forced their way onto another business premises where they stole iPads, computers and uniforms,” he said.
He added that suspects had cut the lock of the pedestrian gate and security gate at a business in Gale Street and fled with three computers.
Jackson said the police arrested an alleged business housebreaker in Sydney Road at 3.28am on Friday morning and recovered a sewing machine that had been stolen from the property.
