The warning followed two guns and ammunition being stolen from a Mazda 4WD ute in the town on Saturday morning.
''In this case, we are now faced with the fact both firearms and ammunition are now in the hands of criminals, which has serious implications for both police and the general public, '' Sgt Paget said.
It was timely to remind firearms licence holders that, under the Arms Code, they were not allowed to leave the firearm in an unattended vehicle. They could face prosecution and the possible revocation of their firearms licence if they were found to be in breach of the code, he said.
A Blyth St property was burgled and the ute, parked outside, was unlawfully taken about 1am. It was found about seven hours later at the McNulty inlet car park, near Cromwell. Police are still seeking information about the movements of the vehicle and any suspicious activity around the inlet or in Blyth St. That area of town, bordered by Monaghan and Alpha Sts, had experienced an increase in reported crime in the past two months, Sgt Paget said.
''We now have a concerning number of reported burglaries and incidents of prowlers around residential homes.''
Residents were urged to be vigilant, to ensure their homes, garages, sheds and vehicles were locked and to report any suspicious activity immediately to police. Police were also investigating an incident in which '' a large piece of concrete'' was thrown through a bedroom window of an Ortive St home, about 6am on Sunday.
Nobody was in the room but the home owner was ''rudely woken'' and upset by the incident, he said. Anyone with information could contact Cromwell police or phone the Crimestopper line on 0800 555-111.
