ACT Policing CPO Scott Lee, Neighbourhood Watch secretary Angela Di Pauli, Crime Prevention Minister Mick Gentleman and CrimeStoppers ACT chair Oliver Forrester are urging all Canberrans to take steps to prevent property crime. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
A revamped ‘Outsmart the Offender‘ campaign is calling on Canberrans to make sure their homes aren’t the targets of an easy theft.
The ACT Government initiative has been given a $146,000 facelift and advertising push, encouraging people to lock their doors (even when home), keep keys out of sight and keep a record of valuables in case they are stolen.
ACT Policing Chief Police Officer Scott Lee said while the Territory remained one of the safest jurisdictions when it came to property crime, he wanted to keep it that way.
“Property crime here is one of the lowest in the country and it has not been increasing – it remains steady – but we want the community’s help to ensure we can continue to focus on this important issue,” he said.
Education is one aspect of community policing in the ACT.
CPO Lee said he understood some might feel a more significant police presence on the ground would be more useful in tackling opportunistic property crime, but it was about balancing the people he had.
“Our police are under significant demand given the scale of the offences we’re responding to across the ACT,” he said.
“So for me as the CPO, that’s a matter of two things: making sure we’ve got the right prioritisation to the crimes occurring in the ACT – so for example crimes against a person would be a priority for us.
“But we’re doing everything we can to reduce property crime, and part of that is through visible policing.”
About 40,000 reports of property crime have been made to ACT Policing over the past year and the online reporting portal has received more than 1000 reports relating to property crime since it launched in July, 2023.
Canberrans will see Outsmart the Offender marketing on social media, in retail centres and on public transport.
CPO Lee said keeping a record of your valuables – such as taking pictures, recording serial numbers and keeping receipts – was one way you could protect yourself if a theft occurred.
He gave the example of recent search warrant activity where a person was arrested and charged over a number of burglaries across Canberra.
Police said they found several allegedly stolen items inside the person’s home.
“As a result of the search warrant activity, we’ve basically recovered items stolen from a number of properties, so we can now return those to the owners,” CPO Lee said.
The campaign encourages people to:
- Lock it or lose it: securing vehicles and bikes with quality locks and alarms
- Keep out a break-in: lock windows and doors, even when you’re at home, and consider installing security cameras or motion-sensor lights
- Be engaged and crime-wise: get to know your neighbours, watch out for each other and report any concerns
Crime Prevention Minister Mick Gentleman said it was about making homes less attractive to “opportunistic thieves”.
“[Property crime] is normally a criminal who is looking for an easy way to make that theft, and as long as people are aware that it might not be their particular house a criminal is looking for, it’s just an opportune moment for them to get in,” he said.
“If we can take steps to make it more difficult for that criminal behaviour [to occur] then we’re better off into the future and the community will feel safer as well.”
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