Katherine thieves are happy to find most of their victims have left their homes unlocked.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Nine out of the 13 homes broken into this month were not locked, police were surprised to find.
Police today warned residents to remain vigilant about home security following a number of unlawful entries during the month.
While statistics show last November's huge rise in shop break-ins has been reined in this year, the attention has turned to house break-ins.
Police said most of the property stolen from the homes was small items however a silver coloured BMW Mini Cooper with Northern Territory registration CD78CL was stolen from one of the homes on November 23 and has still not been found.
There has also been nine commercial unlawful entries in Katherine since November 1.
Most property offenders gained access to the commercial premises' by damaging the buildings and forcing entry, police said.
Superintendent Daniel Shean encourages Katherine residents to work with police to deter property crime and protect assets.
"Katherine residents can find a great source of information on home security at the Neighbourhood Watch NT website. Additionally, Katherine business owners are encouraged to take advantage of the BizSecure grant, a program provided by the NT Government which helps eligible businesses improve their security against the risk of break-ins."
Supt Shean said police have been liaising with the community in effort to lessen break-ins.
More reading:
"We continue to achieve excellent results in the space of property crime prevention and reduction through Operation Pelion, established to target commercial unlawful entries in Katherine.
"In one instance, police arrested and charged a 16-year-old Katherine male with 12 counts of unlawful entry, 13 counts of stealing, five counts of trespass and three counts of criminal damage on November 22.
"He will appear in Katherine Local Court on Friday.
"Investigations are still ongoing in relation to those incidents and further offenders are expected to be arrested."
"Separately, two businesses on Katherine Terrace sustained damage to glass windows on the night of Friday, November 22.
"Operation Pelion members have identified a 17-year-old Katherine female as the person believed to be responsible for the damage to both locations. She will be dealt with in accordance with the Youth Justice Act."
Anyone with information on crime in Katherine, particularly property offending, is encouraged to contact police on 131444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.