Following insurance company data showing a soaring number of payouts from burglaries and car thefts in Victoria reaching $164 million and additional figures indicating a 61.73 per cent increase over two years in the number of claims for ‘theft of or from motor vehicles Neos Kosmos contacted Victoria Police for clarification.

According to insurance industry figures, increased crime rates are resulting in higher premiums for households and small businesses with the “number of claims for domestic home contents for theft and burglary in Victoria showing a 28.4 per cent increase in the last two years, compared to a 9.2 per cent increase in Queensland and a two per cent increase in NSW. Domestic premiums during that period in Victoria have increased by 7.3 per cent over the last two years, compared to an increase of just 1.5 per cent in Queensland and 3.4 per cent in NSW. Meanwhile, motor vehicle premiums in that period in Victoria have increased by 6.14 per cent over the last two years”.

However a Victoria Police spokesperson warranted that Victorians should be extra careful when taking into consideration unofficial crime statistic reports that are not coming directly from Victoria Police, explaining that “contrary to what has been published, between January and March this year we saw a significant drop in residential burglaries, with 2000 fewer offences compared to the previous quarter or a 14.9 per cent decrease.

“The department works harder than ever and closely with key partners, including government and industry, to keep the community and their homes safe, identify and implement effective ways to address thefts of and from motor vehicles.”

In fact, and based on the official crime statistics, theft of motor vehicles reportedly decreased by 14 per cent between January and March this year, which is a drop of approximately 850 offences.

During the same period, theft from motor vehicles offences also dropped 19 per cent compared to the previous quarter.

“These trends are continuing thanks to the hard work of police throughout the state and our sustained focus on enforcement and prevention activities,” a senior communications officer from Victoria Police told Neos Kosmos.

“For example, we’ve partnered with the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council to introduce a GPS vehicle tracking trial before the end of the year. This will allow police to monitor, track and recover stolen vehicles quickly and effectively and also reduce opportunities for stolen vehicles to be used to commit other crimes.”

Meanwhile, Victoria Police are focusing their efforts on improving policing response to residential burglary through enhanced forensic examination processes and greater intelligence sharing between frontline police, local detectives, and burglary investigation teams.

“Next month we will also launch an Australian-first trial using cutting-edge traceable liquid technology which enables people to mark and register valuable items for future identification purposes,” the spokesperson added.

“We hope the technology will help people safeguard their possessions and prevent residential burglaries.”

You can prevent your car being broken into or stolen by:

– ensuring your car is locked while parked at all times and always store your car keys in a secure place
– parking your car in a well-lit area or a locked garage
– never leaving valuables in your vehicle.

Protect yourself and your home by:

– installing good quality locks on doors and windows
– locking all windows and doors, even when you’re at home – unlocked side and rear doors are the most common entry points for burglars
– removing valuable items from plain sight, particularly car keys, wallets, and cash.
– making your house look occupied at all times. For example, ask a neighbour to bring in your mail and bins if you’re away for a while.