Hobart police are tackling a recent increase in home burglaries and reminding people to lock their doors, windows, sheds and garages.

Police are also asking residents to report any unusual vehicles or people they see in their street – they may be scoping out potential targets.

Since July 1 there have been 52 burglaries in Hobart, compared to 33 for the same period last year.

Hobart detectives recently charged one man with 17 home burglaries and another man with five home burglaries.

Senior Constable John Rafferty from Hobart Criminal Investigation Branch said:

“We’ve got two prolific burglars out of circulation but we also need residents to be vigilant in protecting their homes.

“Burglars are opportunists and will always look for easy targets.

“They will look for signs that you are not home such as bins left out or accumulation of mail.

“Once they’ve spotted a target they’ll try to find the easiest way in.

“We see so many burglaries that could have been avoided if people had only locked their windows, doors, sheds and garages.”

It’s also important for people to lock up before they go to bed at night.

The most common items stolen are those that are valuable and portable such as cash, jewellery, technology and tools.

Senior Constable Rafferty said:

“Burglars will scope out their targets before they strike.

“We’re asking residents to report any unusual activity they see in their street, especially people showing an interest in houses.

“We’d rather receive 10 reports that turn out to be nothing than miss out on a report that could help us prevent more burglaries.”

Top five tips for preventing burglaries:

• Make sure all doors and windows on your house and out buildings are locked with adequate locks
• Keep bikes, tools and other outdoor equipment out of site and locked away
• If you’re going away ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your house, bring your rubbish bins in and collect your mail
• Install security lighting in the back yard and leave some lights on inside the house
• Report it to police if you see any unusual or suspicious vehicles and people in your street.