I suppose when you're a kid you don't often think about crime and your role in the community, but now that I've gotten older and live alone in a home in Sunset, it's something I've got to always think about.

Last week, I decided to exercise at home rather than go for a run down Abel Smith Parade, because it's at that stage where you know not to wander the streets of Pioneer by yourself at night, especially on a Thursday.

And that's not to say that any one area is worse than another, but that's just where I am and what I see.

I'm someone who's had my home broken into and had thousands of dollars worth of things taken, and I'm also someone who owns two guard dogs, makes sure the house is locked up every night before bed and double-checks that the gate and blinds are shut so potential offenders don't opportunistically see something lying around.

I completely agree with police that unqualified Facebook posting is out of hand, and as a journalist as well, I know it's hard to factually report on the issue when statistics don't match public perception because people choose to have a Facebook ``vent'' rather than make an official statement.

For me, I haven't noticed petty property crime as bad as it has been in the past few months.

But I've also adjusted my own lifestyle to make sure that I'm not a target of these attacks and, touch wood, it's worked pretty well so far.