Between March 1 and June 30 this year, police recorded 58 burglaries in North Dunedin - 54 of them in streets mainly populated by students.
Dunedin-Clutha police area commander Inspector Dave Campbell said the number of burglaries in the student area was significantly higher than in other parts of Dunedin.
The area had traditionally been seen by burglars as an easy touch because students were known to have valuable items and leave properties unlocked, and it had long had a high number of burglaries.
It seemed efforts to educate students about the risks had failed, and while putting automatic closers and locks on all doors would be good, it was also problematic, and police were looking into other ways of dealing with the problem.
Over the period, Leith St recorded the highest number of burglaries, with 14, and Queen St, the second highest, with 11 burglaries.
In Leith St yesterday, residents said they were aware there was an issue in the area - some because they knew someone who had been burgled, others because of signs on the street saying it was a target area for burglars - although some said they still did not lock their doors regularly.
Medical student Jason Kingan (19) said he locked his room every time he left because he did not want his stuff "nicked", but his flatmates had no such qualms and the rest of the house was usually unlocked.
Daniel Lord (19), a physical education student, said one of his flatmates came out of his bedroom about 1.30 one morning to find someone in the lounge and a second person on the deck. Both men ran off when he came out.
"We used to be pretty casual about [locking the doors]. We're trying to be a lot more careful now."
Further along the street, a resident said he and his flatmates were scrupulous about locking doors, and had moved all their valuable goods - including flat-screen televisions and stereos - away from doors and windows after several laptops and about $3000 worth of musical gear were stolen from their neighbours' flat last term.
Others were not so worried.
"I don't know if they are ever locked. There are five boys here and someone's always home, usually. We don't lock them while someone's here," one man said.
When people were coming and going all the time, it was easier if the door was unlocked, he said.
Another resident said her flat was "pretty casual" about locking doors, while another said her flatmates locked their doors all the time and their front door could not be opened, which "was good" because there had been "a few dodgy people about" this year.
Insp Campbell said police had noticed a trend towards non-students and known criminals moving into the student area in the past two or three years.
That was a concern because it was common for burglars to be most active within a small area close to their home. Police had just completed a burglary control strategy for the city for the next year, but because of the ongoing problems, had started work on two sub-strategies - one for addressing the number of burglaries in North Dunedin, and another looking at the amount of scrap-metal offending.
The burglaries
March 1-June 30:
• Selwyn St - 4
• George St - 1
• Castle St - 3
• Clyde St - 10
• Cumberland St - 1
• Dundas St - 5
• Forth St - 5
• Leith St - 14
• Queen St - 11
