AFTER being open for just 24 hours, Katherine Kebabs owner Michael Alhasnawi was left with an $1800 bill to board up a smashed front window after thieves broke in last week.
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Although nothing was stolen during the January 13 attack, other local retailers have not been as lucky.
Katherine Five Star proprietor Trevor Ford said the supermarket was broken into three times over the Christmas period.
“I hadn’t been broken into for four years, but I got broken into on December 29 with [the offender] coming in through the roof, and he stole alcohol and cigarettes, then again on the first [of January] and he crawled around on the floor to avoid the alarms, and then again for a third time on January 3,” he told theKatherine Times.
The thieves stole $1500 worth of cigarettes and alcohol, and it cost Mr Ford $2000 to fix the roof.
The offender was apprehended and Mr Ford said he believed police were doing all they could do.
In similar break and enters on multiple occasions, both the Silver Screen Cafe and Reflections Hair Professionals were targeted by thieves.
Both businesses sustained thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.
“I haven’t got cameras yet, but I’m looking to get them put in,” Reflections Hair Professionals owner Natalie Angove said.
“I’m just really angry and frustrated that it keeps on happening.”
Commander Bruce Porter said in a statement that Katherine police had not seen any marked difference or increased offending this year when compared to the same period in previous years.
He said the commencement of Operation Veto on December 18 and the establishment of temporary police beats at bottle shops in Katherine had resulted in a distinct reduction in antisocial behaviour and offences against people.
“Most stealing offences relate to opportunistic behaviour of the offender, and all members of the public are strongly encouraged to ensure all security measures are in place at premises,” he said.
“Do not leave valuables in a visible place in unattended cars and don’t leave valuable items lying around in view.”
The latest statistics from the Northern Territory police show that, in Katherine, commercial break-ins increased by 13.6 per cent between the period of December 1, 2013 and November 30, 2014, when compared to the same 12-month period the previous year.
Overall, property crime was up 9.7 per cent, while crimes against persons dropped 5.1 per cent.
