Figures expose WA is home invasion and car theft capital of Australia

WESTERN Australia is the home invasion and car theft capital of Australia.

Damning fresh figures showcase WA was last financial year the worst state for break-ins, attempted break-ins, motor vehicle theft, theft from a motor vehicle and other types of theft.

Theft from a motor vehicle affected Five.Five per cent of households in 2014-15, well ahead of the Australian average of Two.9 per cent.

And more than five per cent of WA homes — 47,400 homes — were violated into, almost dual the national average of Two.7 per cent.

WA homes were twice as likely to cracked into than compared with NSW (Two per cent), Victoria (Two.Five per cent) and South Australia (Two.Five per cent).

Only the Northern Territory recorded a higher rate.

A further Trio.7 per cent of WA households — 35,800 homes — reported attempted break-ins.

This was dual the rate of NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Perth Crime

RAC insurance manager of home claims Glen Walker said home contents claims were up eleven per cent this financial year.

“We have certainly seen a rise in the frequency of home contents theft claims,” he said.

Mr Walker said opportunistic thieves often found their way through unlocked doors and windows.

In November, the Barnett Government announced fresh raunchy home invasion laws, described as the harshest in Australia.

Under the fresh laws, thieves could be jailed up to fifteen years if they commit a crime against a person in the home during a burglary.

But prominent Perth QC Tom Percy said he the powers would make the crime wave even worse.

“Given the sort of sentence likely to be imposed, it is likely they will murder the home occupant because the penalty is not that much different,” he said.

“And it dramatically increases their chances of getting away with it.”

Edith Cowan University criminology lecturer Natalie Gately said more than half of thefts were “opportunistic” and thieves are usually deterred by locked windows and door and moving valuables out of view.

Opposition police spokeswoman Michelle Roberts says the crime figures are “embarrassing”. File photo

Opposition police spokeswoman Michelle Roberts said the Barnett Government had been “asleep at the wheel” when it comes to crime prevention.

“As embarrassing as the Six pack figures are, in latest months there have been further significant increases in crime,” she said.

On Monday, switches to the controversial Frontline two thousand twenty policing model were implemented.

It followed revelations by The Sunday Times that six hundred crimes a day were committed in WA every day last year.

The switches means about eight hundred seventy officers will target major crime types, including motor vehicle theft, burglary, other theft and family violence.

A spokeswoman for the Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said he was “acutely aware of the current pressures around volume crime and domestic violence”.

Police commissioner Karl O’Callaghan implemented switches to the WA Police model on Monday, with eight hundred seventy officers set to target major crime types. Picture: Stewart Allen

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