KEY POINTS:
It's official: Hamilton is the burglary capital of New Zealand.
Latest figures from Statistics New Zealand show 4111 break-ins were reported in the Waikato city last year - ahead of the four Auckland districts that rounded out the top five.
Almost 58,000 Kiwi homes and businesses were burgled last year, about 3000 fewer than in 2006.
But police documents suggest the real number is more than twice that, with an estimated 60 per cent of break-ins unreported. And with the thin blue line becoming more stretched, many homeowners are placing their faith in private security firms instead of the police.
Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock said burglaries in the city "had gone out of control" last year and police numbers had been bolstered to blitz the crime.
"We're increasingly getting the same crime patterns as Auckland, that's the reality of Hamilton becoming a larger city.
"It's not something we're at all happy with and we've been speaking with police about it. Hopefully there'll be some positive change soon."
The Hamilton City district was followed by Auckland East, with 3625 burglaries, Auckland West with 3344, Counties Manukau with 2858 and Waitakere with 2756.
Auckland East contains such affluent suburbs as Epsom, Remuera and Mission Bay and residents in Remuera's upmarket Victoria Ave weren't surprised to hear they were living in a burglary hotspot.
Despite the deterrent of gates and intercoms; pricey cars and homes full of electronic goodies still tempted thieves.
Retiree Stan, who didn't want his last name printed, had been burgled twice since moving to the street two years ago - the first time after only six weeks. He installed $700 worth of alarm sensors but thieves found their way past the system a month later, prompting him to install more sensors and put extra locks on the windows.
"You would think with Victoria Ave being such a good street there would be no burglaries. But I think a lot of people come round here to canvass places out ... they think it's easy pickings."
Another resident, a grandmother who asked not to be named, remembered finding a disoriented man in her hallway, holding her bag. When confronted, he said he was hungry.
She said she sat him down on the stairs and gave him a good telling off before preparing him a packed lunch and telling him to ask next time.
According to a police survey, many victims didn't bother to report burglaries because they thought they were too trivial or there was no sense of loss.
The same survey revealed burglaries are considered one of the top three "crimes of worry" for victims.
But sworn police officers are no longer automatically sent to residential break-ins, with civilian staff taking statements and dusting for fingerprints.
Private security firms are tapping into public fears and say increasing numbers of worried homeowners are willing to pay to protect their property.
Armourguard general manager Ian Anderson said guards could be hired to stay outside homes and guards were available to respond to alarm call-outs.
"If you look at five to 10 years ago we were mainly a commercial industry but we've noticed a shift in our business," said Anderson.
"I guess we see ourselves as filling a need from increased crime and a stretched police force."
Nationally, police have no target time for responding to burglaries, but Matrix Security chief executive Scott Carter said private firms could respond more quickly in many cases.
They can be at a Remuera address with 320 seconds, and at other urban locations inside seven minutes.
He said tricks of the burglar trade included targeting homes during a family funeral, working in pairs and using walkways and parks as escape routes.
It was a myth that burglaries happen at night said Carter, with most happening between 11am and 2pm.
National Party law and order spokesman Simon Power predicted crime and justice would be a key election issue for New Zealand - just behind tax cuts.
He said violent crime had risen 43 per cent since 1999 and the Government was "running out of ideas" but declined to reveal new policies before leader John Key was ready.
A spokesman for Police Minister Annette King said her office was not aware of private security firms being called in to protect private homes.
"Nor are we aware of security firms being used to solve burglaries. Burglaries are a police priority."
He added the burglary rate, and the overall crime rate, had fallen in the past nine years.
"The National Party in 1999 planned to cut 500 frontline police. Under this Government almost 2000 extra police have been added."
