A Dover Heights family is considering hiring private security after their home was targeted three times in less than two weeks, including an incident involving masked intruders and a machete while the household slept upstairs.
The incidents have prompted discussions between the homeowner and neighbours about additional security, with police continuing to investigate the reported break-ins. No charges had been laid in connection with the Dover Heights property when the incidents were reported on 21 October.
From Stolen Cars To A 3am Alarm
The family’s concerns began after a Range Rover and Volkswagen Golf were allegedly stolen from the property about 4am on 10 October. According to the homeowner, who requested anonymity, the group responsible had a boy believed to be of pre-teen age enter the house through a dog door before the vehicles were taken. Ten days later, at approximately 3am on Tuesday, 20 October, four people reportedly arrived at the property on two e-bikes, with at least one carrying a machete. The group entered the grounds and triggered the home security alarm while the family was asleep upstairs.
The homeowner said the repeated incidents had led him and neighbours to consider employing private security guards. He expressed concern about the apparent willingness of armed intruders to approach occupied homes during the early hours. Police were also called to separate incidents in nearby Vaucluse that morning. Officers responded to a report at Coolong Road about 20 minutes after the Dover Heights incident, followed by another reported break-in at Fitzwilliam Road about 3:30am.
Three teenage boys were arrested in connection with the Fitzwilliam Road incident, two at the property and another nearby. They appeared before the Children’s Court on Wednesday, 21 October, with two granted bail. The teenagers were charged in relation to the Fitzwilliam Road incident, not the Dover Heights break-ins. Their matters remain subject to further court proceedings.
Authorities Press For Tougher Laws As Break-Ins Rise
Authorities have called for stronger measures against youth offending following the incidents across Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The calls follow a rise in residential break-ins across the eastern suburbs, where 507 offences were recorded during the previous financial year. The number represented a 23.1 per cent increase over two years, although the area’s offence rate remained slightly below the NSW average. Residential break-and-enter offences have also generally declined over the past decade.
Authorities acknowledged the distress caused by serious and repeat offending, pointing to tougher bail provisions for repeat car theft and break-and-enter offences, alongside changes to laws covering serious youth offences. They described the conduct captured in the security footage as unacceptable and identified youth offending as a policing priority. The Strike Force Sweetenham had charged 820 people with more than 7,000 offences across Sydney. Police investigations into the reported Dover Heights incidents were continuing.
Published 25-October-2026
