HOUSING developments around Donnybrook, South Morang and Doreen are being fleeced by thieves, police say.
New taps, stovetops, ovens, hot water systems, fridges, washing machines, water meters and copper piping are the main targets.
Thieves are also ripping out installed appliances or stealing deliveries before tradesmen can get there to install them, said Whittlesea police Inspector Robert Dykstra.
“I can’t count the amount of times stuff is delivered on one day and the plumber arrives the next to install it and it’s gone,” he said.
“We even had officers arresting people for stealing plants from a housing development in South Morang overnight, pulling plants out of common ground in the estate.” Garden ornaments and airconditioning units were also “walking”, he said.
Inspector Dykstra said police were getting on average between five and 10 reported thefts or burglaries a week in estates under construction.
He said the sparsely occupied, target-rich estates were not just a magnet to thieves but they created hazards for residents beginning to move in.
“While a great number of these burglaries are of houses that are not inhabited, there is a risk a thief might unexpectedly encounter a new resident at home, and respond in a way that is dangerous.”
Inspector Dykstra said police had spoken to developers in the area and had appealed to them to improve their security.
“We haven’t had a lot of success with them so far,” he said, adding that people about to take a certificate of occupancy might want to consider taking up residence quickly to safeguard their new homes and fittings.
He said numerous people had been charged, some with multiple burglaries.
