Police reveal Geraldton burglaries dropped by 30 per cent in first quarter of 2023-24 due to technology, talk

Burglaries in Geraldton have dropped by 30 per cent in the last three months, local police have revealed. Police say Geraldton officers have investigated and resolved a total of 46 burglary offences since July 1. That is 30 per cent less burglaries across the board than the same period last year, according to officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Chris Martin. “It’s very pleasing to see an overall reduction in burglary offences. The combined efforts by the community and the response by local officers has been fantastic,” he said. WA Police statistics show there were 376 burglaries across the Mid West-Gascoyne district in last year’s July-September quarter. Sen. Sgt Martin said a number of programs and initiatives were contributing to the reduction in crime, as well as heightened security, technology and awareness in the community. “A notable reason for the burglary reduction is the uptake in digital technology by the community, including CCTV cameras and electronic tagging devices,” he said. Sen. Sgt Martin said other organisations, including the Mid West Chamber of Commerce and Incite Security, have helped police to promote targeted hardening strategies in private businesses and the installation of security systems for elderly customers. He said strong engagement with community watch pages on social media was also a contributing factor. “There is a much wider interest across Geraldton in spreading information about suspicious persons and looking out for each other,” he said. “The Geraldton Police Station has made the response to burglary offences an absolute priority, from first attendance to the court outcome. We are absolutely committed to ensuring people are safe in their homes and have confidence we will make every effort to arrest those responsible. “These statistics show that when we work together we can keep Geraldton safe and property secure.” WA Police will release its latest quarterly crime statistics later this month.