Crime series: Nine Northlanders burgled daily

Doug Shearer of United Security says burglaries have been increasing in Northland over the last 12 months. Photo/John Stone

Every single day, nine more Northlanders become victims of burglary.

They have their home or shop broken into, their drawers rummaged through, their home violated. Frantically searching as they clean up, often they realise their most valuable possessions are gone, probably forever.

The vast majority go this way. A Herald series last year found 90 per cent of burglaries in New Zealand went unsolved.

Today, the Counting Crime series looks at one of the most common crimes committed in New Zealand.

The crime policing figures come from the most in-depth look at crime data ever undertaken in New Zealand, led by Herald Insights.

Since July 2014, 9154 Northlanders have become victims of an unlawful entry of their house, office, shop, or other structure - enough to fill up half of Toll Stadium.

That's 270 victims a month, 60-odd each week.

This was not the number of burglaries; the numbers published by police were the number of victims. Many burglaries could have more than one victim.

However, the number was likely much higher than this, said one Northland security employee.

Doug Shearer of United Security Northland said many people did not even report their experiences because they doubted police could do anything to solve it.

"They get burgled and just say, 'Oh yeah, we're not going to get anything dealt with' and get on with their life."

He said he had noticed an increase in break-ins around Whangarei in the last year.

"From what I gather it's a lot of youth crime, opportunists running around... They're looking for money. My guess is that it's methamphetamine driven," Mr Shearer said.

"What's challenging from our side is keeping up with it."

Whangarei had 1491 reported burglaries in the 12 months to April 2017 - more than four new victims a day. The Far North had an almost identical number with 1482.

Kaipara District recorded 382 in the year, up from 302 in the previous 12 months.

The crime data was so exact, viewers of the Herald Insights interactive could see the numbers of burglaries in each neighbourhood.

Tikipunga West had the highest number of burglaries in Whangarei with 268 over the 34-month period. The central city followed with 208.

Narrowing further into Tikipunga West, the data showed the area west of Paramount Pde and along Puna Rere Dr had the highest number of victimisations in the area with 49.

However, a shop owner in Tikipunga West said his property had not been burgled and he had not heard many stories about other properties being broken into in the nine years he has lived in the area.

"It's a safe area otherwise I wouldn't be living here. Occasionally you hear about burglaries but I guess that happens everywhere," he said.

A Northern Advocate analysis of crime figures showed police have recorded roughly the same number of burglaries each of the last two years. The Far North and Kaipara had increased slightly, while the number reported in Whangarei had actually decreased from 1739 the previous 12 months.

Mr Shearer said what got left behind in the numbers and business side of security was the impact break-ins had on victims.

"I visit people and the burglaries are a week old and they're almost crying as they're talking to me. Some people are quite distraught, and some people just carry on with their lives."

Mr Shearer urged one simple check on residential safety.

"If you can break into your house when you've left the key inside, so can they.

"They carry tools and they're ready to go. If they see a window slightly open that's a little bit concealed, they're in.