POLICE have recorded 135 reported break and enter robberies in the Kempsey region in just three months.
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Figures released at the Community Safety Precinct Meeting in Kempsey on Tuesday show a big spike in these offences for the 12 weeks to November 20.
Police attributed the dramatic increase in offence to several small groups of offenders.
For the week ending on November 13, 25 break and enter offences were reported to police.
Two other weeks recorded double digit robbery figures, with 18 reported in the week ending on October 30 and a further 12 for the week ending on November 20.
The statistics indicate this number of offences is considered unusual - a simmilar 12-week total had occurred a maximum of nine times in the preceeding five years.
The majority of the robberies were concentrated around West Kempsey, along North St and the area around Gordon Nixon Ave.
There were also robbery hot spots around Middleton and Lachlan St in South Kempsey and some in the East Kempsey area.
The statistics also included robberies from the caravan parks at Crescent Head and South West Rocks.
A police spokesperson for the Mid North local Area Command said the robberies were alarming, but police were working hard to catch the offenders.
“We believe that there are perhaps three small groups of offenders who have recently become active in the Kempsey area that are responsible for the overwhelming majority of the offences,” the spokesperson said.
“Our intelligence has given us a fairly good idea of who they are and we are devoting a lot of effort and resources to catching them and putting them before the courts.”
In most of the robberies the offenders gained entry via a rear door or window which was in many cases unlocked.
Police are urging residents to lock their doors and windows even when they are at home, either inside or in their yard, and to make sure that small, valuable personal items such as wallets, handbags, smart phones and car keys are secured and not left in plain sight.
If you have any information about these robberies you can contact the Kempsey police on 6561 6199 or report it via Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.