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It's no surprise to Kate Douglas that she's living in the burglary capital of New Zealand.
The Titirangi resident had never had her house broken into before moving to Waitakere but has since been burgled twice.
"When we lived in Te Atatu our garage was broken into and cleaned out while we slept," she said. "We moved to Titirangi because we thought it was a lovely area and now we find it has a burglary problem."
The latest break-in was four days before Christmas. When Kate woke up, she found the sliding door open.
The thieves took a laptop, a camera, Kate's handbag and her husband Craig's wallet.
"It was a bit disturbing. My daughter sleeps in the room right beside the lounge. It was awful to think that someone had been through our house while we were asleep, unaware."
After the burglary, Kate delivered pamphlets which prompted "heaps" of calls and visits from neighbours who have also been broken into.
"I'm considering starting a Neighbourhood Watch group - it's always best if you know your neighbours."
