A report into the days and times when crimes are most likely to be committed has found that Wagga experiences a spike in burglaries and car thefts on Monday mornings.
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The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report into a range of offences also identified Wednesday and Saturday mornings as peak times for break in offences at homes.
Break and enter offences were 50 per cent more likely to happen on Monday mornings between 6am and 12pm than at the next highest peak time of Wednesday mornings.
Monday morning from midnight to 6am was also far more likely to motor vehicle thefts, another type of offence that has plagued Wagga residents.
FSD Electrics director Chris Waldron, whose company installs security systems in Wagga, said the surge in burglaries on Monday mornings could be influenced by drug users running out of money after the weekend.
"The times [in the report] do make sense, especially during Monday and Tuesday when most people are at work and out of the house," he said.
"I imagine the people who are breaking in are looking for money for drugs or something like that so coming off a weekend that makes sense, as they would obviously been drinking or on drugs the whole weekend.
"I reckon the [timing of Centrelink payments on Thursday] might be a strong thing as well as when they get paid, I'm not saying its everyone who uses it, but they have probably burned through it and need a bit more cash."
Wagga Neighbourhood Watch president Wayne Deaner said some of the peak times seemed "weird" but might be explained by the streets of Wagga's suburbs seeing fewer pedestrians during weekdays, which could make it a more attractive time for burglars.
"It could be that there are less active people on the streets driving around, as you have a lot more traffic on the weekend from people coming home from clubs and nightclubs in the small hours or taxis getting around," he said.
Saturday night was the third most popular time for burglars to strike across Wagga.
The peak times for arson, a crime that often follows motor vehicle theft in Wagga, are on Friday and Saturday nights between 12am and 6am.
Mr Waldron recommended that homeowners contact Essential Energy for an approved lock to place on their meter to prevent burglars from testing whether a property was occupied or attempting to disable security systems by switching off mains power.
"Burglars are getting smarter in their ways. The main thing is having a lock on each of your gates if you have any gates entering into your backyard, a lot of people don't seem to do that," he said.
"I would make sure that your doors are locked when you go to bed and you don't leave valuables out like your keys and wallet.
"CCTV is great but a lot of people cover their face these days, it is worthwhile having, but I would start out with an internal security system because that is going to make noise as soon as they are in and they won't want to hang around."
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Mr Deaner urged residents not to skip on locking up their homes, even if leaving for just a short time.
"Opportunist crime is a big thing; people walk past and think 'oh, I could easily get into there," he said.
"I would try to put window locks on, CCTV and an alarm of some sort and sensor lights.
"We don't have to spend a huge amount of money to make our homes safe. Every little bit counts in deterring or stopping those thieves."
Mr Waldron said leaving your car keys on the open near the front door or in the kitchen also risked turning a burglary into a vehicle theft as well.
"One of the first things we do is advise people to lock up their car keys. We're all guilty at times of throwing down our keys on the nearest table as soon as we get in the door," he said.
The crime statistics study was based on incident reports filed by Riverina Police District within the Wagga City Council boundaries during 2019.
Riverina Police District was asked for comment but was unable to respond prior to publication.