Heavy penalties a must for aggravated burglaries

IT HAS been concerning in the past week to see a number of aggravated burglaries in the local area, including in Leongatha last Wednesday, when a pair of 14-year-old youths stole a car in McCartin Street and on Saturday at Cape Paterson when a 14-year-old stole a Mercedes Benz.

On both occasions, local police did a fantastic job tracking down the culprits, in the case of the Leongatha car theft, the police airwing was called in to help locate the pair and the car at Hallston and in the second case, the Cape Paterson car was found in Leongatha and a 14-year-old youth was arrested and charged.

But the reality is, we live in an area with a relatively low crime rate. In Bass Coast the rate of criminal incidents per 100,000 people was 5127.5 in the year ending March 31, 2024, as compared to the state average of 5686.4 and in South Gippsland it was 4699.1 compared to the state average of 5686.4.

Not nothing, but low.

The number of criminal incidents in Bass Coast was up 4.1 per cent for the year, 2136 to 2223, while South Gippsland’s were about the same, 1455 incidents compared to 1455 the previous year.

Breaches of family violence intervention orders and criminal damage were the main offence subgroups, with thefts of cars, and thefts from cars relatively low; 11 cars were stolen from Cowes, six from Wonthaggi North, 18 from Wonthaggi and five from Leongatha. Thefts from cars were more significant with 31 such incidents in Wonthaggi North, 41 in Wonthaggi and 19 in Leongatha.

So, we should all take the advice of the police and not leave valuables in the car, keep the car locked and preferably out of sight.

The number of aggravated burglaries in the 12 months to the end of March is even lower, almost negligible.

But lately, we have seen a rise in the number of these incidents across the Gippsland region and the community has every right to be alarmed about what is a fearful class of crime.

Once upon a time, aggravated burglaries were an absolute no-no for even hardened crooks due to the prospect of heavy penalties and the potential for the incident to go pear-shaped if the occupiers of the house woke up and confronted the intruders.

For the victims of such crimes, they feel violated in their own homes, and it can take them a long time, if ever, to feel safe again. Some may not even want to stay in their home again after an incident like that.

So, the police and the courts need to continue to take the crime of aggravated burglary, that is, breaking into someone’s home while they’re still there very seriously, chasing down the offenders like they did in the past week, and then handing down penalties that feature both specific and general deterrence.

The hardened crooks know the consequences of getting caught committing an aggravated burglary but this new breed of young idiot, maybe showing off to friends on social media or for whatever reason, need to know that destroying the safety and security people are entitled to feel in their own homes comes at a very heavy price.