Bid to beat brazen burglary botched

– Jim Tucker is a writer and journalist based in New Plymouth

OPINION: We’ve had a burglary-theft. Or is it theft-burglary?

I had to look up the Crimes Act to be sure, but it seems both burglary and theft apply, the first being the act of entering someone’s property without permission with the intention of committing a crime like theft, which is the taking.

Whatever. It involved some cheeky bugger apparently walking into our house in broad daylight and stealing an iPad.

We were both home. The front door was locked, but a side one wasn’t. The security camera was having its battery charged.

I was out in my shed/office working and Lin was in the main bedroom with a visiting tradie measuring up a new curtain.

Having been a crime and court reporter, I immediately had a theory on what might have happened. The thief must have followed the tradie around waiting for her to make a call, then ventured down our drive at a discreet distance, and been in and out with the device in a flash.

The absence of the iPad wasn’t immediately apparent. It was noticed a couple of hours later when we wanted to use it. We searched endlessly. No luck. Damn it. We’d been robbed.

What do you do? Call 111? No, that’s for emergencies. If it’s non-urgent – that is, there’s no risk to life – you go online and provide police with a written report called a “105”, or “Ten-five” if you’re that way inclined.

It’s easy to do. The police website instructions are clear. Basically, you provide details of who you are and what’s happened.

Naturally, being an expert (admittedly doing his first 105) I explained in depth what I thought had probably occurred. I wanted to help the police prevent what could easily become a wave involving crims following tradies all over Taranaki and striking careless property owners everywhere.

I’m a trained writer. My description was long, thorough, colourful even. You can’t be too helpful, for goodness sake.

The second call was to the insurance company. Our agent was on leave, but obliged anyway. Soon, one of his colleagues had the claim form heading our way online. Filling out began immediately.

My third contact was to the tradie to warn her the police might be about to call as they swept into action. We didn’t want her thinking for a second we suspected she was to blame. She was surprised at the news and promised to be on the lookout.

A policeperson rang soon after the report landed. She was calm, helpful, sympathetic. She said a quick check with Taranaki police showed there was no apparent pattern like the one I’d suggested; but no harm being on the alert.

She and Lin discussed iPad security measures you can put in place with Apple. We checked later and found we didn’t even have our Apple phones and pads registered or distinctly named.

They are now. I can’t go anywhere without Apple showing me on a map the whereabouts of our device flock. I feel like the motorway duck mother.

Next day, we had a final search. I found the “stolen” device within minutes, stacked away at the end of the bottom shelf of a bookcase.

The tradie, the insurance agent and police were polite. I asked the latter for tips on theft prevention:

• If you’re outside for a while – for example, in the garden – lock your front door.
• Keep valuables out of sight. If it can be seen, it can be a target.
• Keep receipts, warranties, valuations and serial numbers in a safe place.
• Secure your doors, windows, sheds and garages with good quality locks.
• Install security stays on windows, especially those on ground level.
• Don’t provide places for burglars to hide – keep bushes and trees trimmed, secure gates and fences, and ensure entrance ways are well lit.
• Don’t answer the door to someone you don’t know or don’t want in your home. Ask for identification if they say they represent a company.
• Get important or valuable mail delivered to a place where someone will be home to receive them, or to a work address if possible.
• If you do have important mail deliveries made to your home, be sure you’re going to be there to collect them or have a secure location where they can be left, preferably out of sight from the road.
• Take photos or videos of jewellery, art and other precious items.