MEDIA RELEASE
Gosnells and Thornlie have topped the list of suburbs with the highest number of home burglary insurance claims in 2017.
RAC Manager Home Claims, Glen Walker, said according to RAC insurance claims data, Gosnells held top spot for the second year in a row, tied with Thornlie which has come up from third place, with Morley, Dianella, Balga and Bayswater also featuring in the top five.
“We tend to see the same suburbs dominate our claims data, with Gosnells, Thornlie and Morley consistently ranking highly in RAC’s burglary claims analysis,” Mr Walker said.
“Bayswater, which didn’t feature in the 2016 top ten, now sits fifth, while claims in Northam — the worst performing regional suburb in 2016 — have dropped by almost 70%, moving from ninth overall in 2016 to outside the top 100.
Mr Walker said jewellery continued to be the number one item lifted from people’s homes, along with portable devices, such as iPads and laptops, as well as tools and bikes.
“Thieves are opportunistic in nature and can quickly enter via an open side bedroom, or unlocked front door, and take anything portable within arm’s reach in about 30-seconds, so make sure expensive, easily portable items are secured properly.
“Our advice is to always lock your doors and windows and maintain your security standards even when you are home.
“It’s also a good idea to prune back any bushes around windows and doors as these can provide a screen for would-be thieves entering your home.
Suburbs with largest number of break-ins in 2017, based on more than 4,400 RAC claims:
1. Gosnells/Thornlie (75 claims each)
2. Morley (72 claims)
3. Dianella (57 claims)
4. Balga (54 claims)
5. Bayswater/Boulder (51 claims each)
6. Canning Vale (44 claims)
7. Baldivis (42 claims)
8. Nollamara (39 claims)
9. East Victoria Park/Armadale (38 claims each)
10. Warnbro/Maddington (37 claims each)
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