Free engraving offered to curb burglars

Burglary victims are being given a chance to stop thieves in their tracks by getting personal belongings engraved free of charge.

Operation Engrave has been launched in Rotorua, allowing anyone with proof of purchase to have their personal items engraved with an identifying mark at community police centres.

The scheme comes eight years after Rotorua police issued 20,000 indelible marker pens to Rotorua residents in a similar effort to reduce burglaries.

Last year 40 burglaries on average were reported each week to Rotorua police.

The figures almost double close to Christmas.

The officer in charge of the burglary reduction effort, Detective Trevor Beatson, said the aim of the operation was to deter burglars from stealing items and to make it easier for police to identify recovered property.

"We have gone [on] so many search warrants at drug houses and gang houses where there are televisions, PlayStations, DVDs, and videos in every room.

"We know they are stolen but the difficulty is proving it."

Rotorua police area commander Inspector Bruce Horne said there was a misconception that the community could not do anything to reduce crime and that burglars would break into houses "no matter what".

Mr Horne said during the past couple of years, burglary rates in Rotorua had been among the highest in New Zealand.

The figures had come down recently as a result of several burglars being caught.

- NZPA