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Home Safety and Security

One in Twenty WA Households Victims of Break-ins

One in twenty (5%) Western Australian households had been a victim of a break-in or an attempted break-in during the 12 months prior to October 2004.

The Home Safety and Security survey also found that more than one-quarter (26%) of these households had been a victim of either a break-in, or an attempted break-in, more than once.

Less than half of Western Australian households had deadlocks (42%) or security screens (45%) on all of their external doors at the time of the survey. Just over one-quarter (27%) of households had a security/burglar alarm installed.

An estimated four out of every ten break-ins or attempted break-ins occurred during a weekday in daylight. The survey also found:

• 40% of households, who had most recently been a victim of an actual break-in, reported the point of entry was unlocked at the time of the incident.

• Seniors households (where at least one person was aged 60 years or over) were half as likely (3%) to be a victim of a break-in or attempted break-in compared with other households (6%).

• 15% of households that had working smoke alarms installed (that were at least 12 months old) had never tested them.
• Almost one-fifth (18%) of households that had working battery-powered smoke alarms installed (that were at least 12 months old) had never changed the batteries in those smoke alarms.