1304.5 - Stats Talk WA (Newsletter), Sept 2005  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/05/2006   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

Home Safety and Security

One in Twenty WA Households Victims of Break-ins

One in twenty (5%) Western Australian households had been a victim of a break-in or an attempted break-in during the 12 months prior to October 2004.

The Home Safety and Security survey also found that more than one-quarter (26%) of these households had been a victim of either a break-in, or an attempted break-in, more than once.

Less than half of Western Australian households had deadlocks (42%) or security screens (45%) on all of their external doors at the time of the survey. Just over one-quarter (27%) of households had a security/burglar alarm installed.

An estimated four out of every ten break-ins or attempted break-ins occurred during a weekday in daylight. The survey also found:

  • 40% of households, who had most recently been a victim of an actual break-in, reported the point of entry was unlocked at the time of the incident.
  • Seniors households (where at least one person was aged 60 years or over) were half as likely (3%) to be a victim of a break-in or attempted break-in compared with other households (6%).

An estimated seven in 10 Western Australian households had working smoke alarms installed in October 2004. Other information on smoke alarms includes:
  • 15% of households that had working smoke alarms installed (that were at least 12 months old) had never tested them.
  • Almost one-fifth (18%) of households that had working battery-powered smoke alarms installed (that were at least 12 months old) had never changed the batteries in those smoke alarms.

For further information consult Home Safety and Security, Western Australia (ABS cat. no. 4526.5.55.001)