Taskforce to tackle thefts

By Sarah Schwager
CRANBOURNE police are setting up a taskforce to curb a spate of thefts from houses under construction and display homes.
Senior Sergeant Bernie Kaminski from the Cranbourne CIU said the amount of burglaries was getting out of control.
“We are setting up a special tasking unit to conduct an operation to apprehend the offenders,” he said.
“We have identified the burglaries as a problem. It has been a problem for a while.”
Sen Sgt Kaminski said while the CIU had apprehended a number of people over such burglaries in the past, there had been a spike recently.
In the most recent incidents, two neighbouring display homes at Porter Davis Homes in Baddeley Circuit, Cranbourne North were broken into on Saturday around 4am.
A Sharpe plasma television and projector each worth $3000 were stolen from one house and a plasma television stolen from the other.
Sen Sgt Kaminski said the items had just been replaced from a burglary the day before.
A LCD television worth $5000 was also stolen from a property on the same street some time between 6pm on 4 March and 9.30am on 5 March. Also on Saturday morning between 3am and 4.15am, a display home on Von Nida Drive, Cranbourne North was broken into.
The bathroom window was forced and a projector partially removed from the home cinema room but left hanging from the ceiling.
Some time between 4.30pm on 2 March and 6.15am on 5 March a house under construction in Olive Road, Hampton Park was robbed. Two packs of timber, nails and 50 cement sheets were stolen from inside the house.
Both plain clothes police and uniform members will be involved in the operation.
Any witnesses are urged to contact Senior Constable David Measham at Cranbourne CIU on 5991 0661 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.