DONNYBROOK Police have warned of an increasing trend in people from outside areas targeting rural properties for portable high value items and firearms.
Donnybrook Officer in Charge Sergeant Ryan van der Heide said high value items such as motorbikes, chainsaws and diesel fuel were at risk – but of most concern was a rise in theft of firearms.
He said there had been several such instances in the last month alone, in areas such as Balingup and Glen Mervyn.
Sgt van der Heide urged property owners and firearm license holders to ensure their firearms were secure.
“We’re also aware of a small amount of stock theft, but much of it is unreported,” he said.
“If people aren’t reporting it, it’s hard to get a picture of what’s happening.”
Sgt van der Heide urged farmers to report livestock theft, and if they had the capacity, to look at some sort of surveillance cameras.
“It’s something people in rural areas should consider,” he said.
“Police resources are limited, we can’t be everywhere all the time. People need to understand we need something to investigate to get anywhere.”
He said sometimes this would be forensic evidence, but camera footage helped.
Anybody interested in finding more information about keeping rural properties safe can contact Donnybrook Police for more information on donnybrook.police.station@police.wa.gov.au, or on twitter at @DonnybrookPol.
