Police are urging the community not to take matters into their own hands if their home is broken into.
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The call follows the recent spate of break and enters and anger regarding a metropolitan media report yesterday painting the town in a poor light.
Frustration had already been at a high on the “Cowra Break-in Reports” Facebook page.
Sergeant Rod Buhr has acknowledged the community’s frustrations but is calling for commonsense to prevail.
We urge that the public shouldn’t take matters into their own hands.
- Sergeant Rod Buhr
“The police are aware of the Facebook page and the frustrations within the community, we urge that the public shouldn’t take matters into their own hands,” he said to concerned residents.
“Police resources have been deployed to the Cowra Sector from Orange. The aim of the additional resources is to extend the period of time police are operating.
“While many of the break and enters are occurring during the daylight hours a percentage of the offences are occurring when the station isn’t manned. The additional resources are aimed at enabling the police to act quicker when a call is made.
“If anyone has information relating to break and enter matters they are encouraged to report it to police, so we can arrest and charge the offenders and bring them before the courts, any information can be supplied anonymously”.
Sergeant Buhr also addressed the comments relating to people defending themselves and their homes.
“Police have noted some of the comments on the Facebook page on where people stand on defending themselves and what powers they have to detain offenders,” he said.
“In the first instance police would not recommend, for their own safety, a person become involved in physical confrontations, as the offenders could be unpredictable and you may not know if they are armed.
“What they (a victim) can do however is try to gain an accurate description of the offender, including their clothes, their demeanor, the way they walk or talk, any information is just as vital as any physical evidence like fingerprints or DNA that can be obtained.
“If people are uncertain of legally where they stand they can contact police for advice.
“Police would like to inform the public that there is currently 24 hour policing in Cowra and whilst the officers may not be on duty they will be recalled to attend any calls made by the public,” he said.