Retirees at the Riverina Gums Retirement Village have endured a number of crimes in recent months and they say that management is not doing enough to ensure their safety.

The un-gated Glenfield Park village, which features individual units easily accessible by members of the public, has been the scene of several break-ins and one sexual assault.

Jean Busch is one of the latest victims in the village. In early April her house was broken into while she slept and a number of items taken.

Mrs Busch has lived at Riverina Gums Retirement Village for more than 20 years and the crime wave has left her considering leaving her long-time home.

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Her family are frustrated at what they see as inaction on the part of the village management.

Mrs Busch's son Heath Busch had reached out to RetireAustralia, the owners of Riverina Gums, after several of his mother's neighbours were burgled.

He asked for increased security, but before any action was taken his fears were realised and his mother's house was broken into on April 2.

"It's supposedly every retirement village in Wagga [that is affected by crime]," he was told by management. "I said 'Well mate, I don't care about the rest of them, I'm trying to sort this one out'."

The incident has left Mrs Busch fearful, but feeling like she has nowhere else to go.

"I got up [the next morning] thinking I'd have to leave here," she said. "And then I discovered there'd been break-ins at all the other [retirement villages] too."

Mrs Busch's neighbour Ray Holding alerted her to the break-in after he saw a torchlight shining through her window. He too has been a victim of crime this year, after thieves stole his car.

Mr Holding said that the worst thing was that thieves came into his bedroom, right next to his bed, and grabbed his belongings.

At this point, he said he isn't fearful anymore as crime has become such a common occurrence at Riverina Gums.

"You just live with it now, I think," he said. "It was an awful sensation."

A RetireAustralia spokesperson said they have engaged overnight security and installed CCTV at the village, along with other improvements in recent months.

A number of residents have written letters to The Daily Advertiser outlining their concerns - some have been victims of crime, others concerned they could be next.

One woman moved into Riverina Gums in August 2021 "looking forward to a safe environment". Her unit was broken into by December and she's been "disappointed with the level of security" at the village.

Another resident has become "anxious" about her security after her unit was "invaded".

Mr Busch said management had told him that there is "no silver bullet" to ensure the community's safety.

But he believes more can, and should, be done. The ability to access the village at night is a major problem, he said.

"We want someone here from 7pm to 7am," he said. "There needs to be security cameras and someone watching the cameras. That's the closet to a silver bullet you're going to get."

In the meantime, life at the village is not the same for Mrs Busch.

"Of course you are [worried] and you doubt yourself all the time," she said. "We're very vulnerable."

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