Police issue safety warning for Christmas period after Wagga's crime statistics increased

Riverina Police District Inspector Jill Gibson said while break and enters can happen anytime throughout the year, Christmas is opportunistic.

"There's more new things in households and things like that and people are going away," she said.

"If people are going away, have someone checking in, don't leave keys out for people, make sure your windows are locked.

"If you are going out, shut your windows, we don't want to see anyone's new Christmas presents taken before they are even played with."

The message comes after new statistics released by NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Researchs showed an increase petty theft across the Wagga LGA between September 2021 to September 2022.

The statistics show a a 91.2 per cent increase in motor vehicle thefts between Sept 2021 and Sept 2022- from 113 to 216.

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There's also been a 68.6 per cent increase in stealing from motor vehicles in the same period - from 347 to 585.

Inspector Gibson said people travelling in caravans or who are planning on camping should also be alert.

"When you leave your car unattended, even for a short period of time, close all of the windows, remove the key from the ignition and lock all doors," she said.

"Ensure you have removed all property from view and don't leave personal documents in your car."

Residents are also being warned of scams, frauds and Facebook deals gone wrong.

If you are a victim of online crime visit https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime.

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