Rotorua couple Adair and Ray Smith August know all too well what it's like to be victims of burglaries after being struck twice in one night.
The burglars also came back to their Pukehangi Rd property six months later but were put off stealing anything because the Smiths had become much more security conscious.
Latest crime data shows the Smiths live in an area considered the second highest grouping for victimisations. Between July 2014 and April 2017 there were 18 victimisations for unlawful entry with intent/burglary and break and enter in their area.
Mrs Smith was by her husband's bedside in Waikato Hospital after he suffered a medical condition when the thieves struck the first time.
The burglars got into the house through an en suite window.
Their neighbours came home down their shared driveway and spotted someone in the front garden who appeared to be acting as a lookout.
Mrs Smith said her neighbours immediately knew something was wrong so one of them ran inside and called police while the other grabbed a machete and ran across to confront the burglars.
Ray and Adair Smith now think twice about home security after being burgled twice. Photo/Ben Fraser
But the thieves had already been spooked and were running down the road.
"I got a phone call from my neighbour to tell me what had happened and we told them to lock the house up and pull down the blinds."
She said after her neighbour chased the burglars down the road with a machete she never thought they'd come back.
However, overnight the burglars returned and cleaned them out.
"They stole three TVs, cameras, jewellery, watches. They took food from the freezers, mostly meat. Tins of fruit, even down to a half loaf of bread.
"It makes you angry doesn't it? With everything else I was going through I suppose it feels like your world is crashing down around you. The only thing that I was pleased about was they didn't go through the drawers and wardrobe . . . That would have really upset me."
Adair Smith and her husband Ray have ensured their home is now more unattractive to burglars by installing an alarm and double locks on doors and windows. Photo/Ben Fraser
Mrs Smith said it was a long and involved process to get everything replaced.
"We were angry . . . to think $15,000 worth, it's eating a fair bit into your livelihood."
She had a precious engagement ring stolen.
"Ray had bought me another one and I thought I would wear it that day to the hospital and left the other behind. Gee do I regret doing that. Yes I have had it replaced but it's not the same."
She said the burglaries had made them much more security conscious and they quickly set about ensuring their house was a burglary-free zone. They got double locks on their sliding doors and windows and installed a monitored security alarm.
They also ensured all their gardens were set out in a way that made it difficult for burglars to hide.
As they predicted, six months later the burglars came back. They got inside the house and went straight for their new big TV (they know this as it had fingerprints on it). But the alarm sounded, disturbing them in the act.
"They probably tried to get out the sliding door, like they did the last time but there were double locks on them this time, so they had to go out the same way they got in, which would have been much harder."
Mrs Smith said the burglars were never caught but they had not been burgled since.
Despite the ordeal, she said she and her husband had become much more aware. She encouraged others to become security wise and get to know their neighbours because it could prevent them losing their precious possessions.
