One of the victims of the latest spate of break and enters in North Orange said he felt violated when he realised “scum bags” had been inside his house and stolen his wife’s handbag.

Having always worked hard he said he found it very difficult to comprehend how anyone could commit such a crime.

“Both of us have worked for over 30 years each, but ripping us off is their job,” he said.

“They spend their time targeting different areas and watching what goes on.”

Despite the recent run of warm weather, police are reminding people they can’t leave their windows open.

Thieves simply find it too tempting.

Many of the thieves are opportunistic and spend time looking for unlocked windows and doors, and many are willing to take a risk in order to steal money to feed a drug habit.

There is only so much the police can do. It is up to the entire community to take responsibility for their own security and the security of their neighbours.

It is about time all of us conducted a safety audit on our homes to ensure the locks on our doors and windows are adequate.

The police are happy to receive calls from people who notice suspicious activities in their neighbourhood, so we need to ensure we’re vigilant at all times.

Sadly Orange residents can no longer feel like they are safe in their own homes.