CRIME SPREE: 'Every parent is sleeping with a cricket bat'

WHILE the community is "terrified", a top Northern Rivers cop says locals need to report the crimes to police, not social media.

BYRON and Suffolk Park locals are up in arms about an apparent spate of home-invasion and break-in attempts reported over the last two weeks on social media.

A new Facebook page Crime Watch Byron Bay sees members of the public alerting each other to incidents of crime in the local area.

One resident who contacted Byron Shire News claimed there had been at least six incidents over the last three to four-week period, including an attempted home-invasion in Beech Drive Suffolk Park last Tuesday night.

The Suffolk Park local said there was a palpable sense of fear in parts of his community.

He said his wife was so concerned she had taken to sleeping with her children in their bedroom.

"People are terrified. It's got every parent in town sleeping with a cricket bat," he said.

"We are all double and triple locking our doors, keeping our dogs in the house with us and leaving outside lights on."

Officer in Charge of Byron Bay Police, Chief Inspector Matt Kehoe said data currently available to local police did not indicate there had been a recent spike in these types of crimes.

"Over the previous week we had reports of a break in at Suffolk Park on August 21 and at Little Burns Street, Byron Bay on August 23," Chief Inspector Kehoe said.

"Byron Police have charged two 15 year olds from Byron Bay in relation to the Little Burns Street break in with one refused bail until October 21 and the other on conditional bail until September 23.

"Police are continuing investigations as to whether there are any links between the two incidents."

Chief Inspector Kehoe said people should call Byron Police or Triple Zero in relation to incidents of crime.

"If anyone is experiencing crime in their homes report it to police and not to social media as police do not respond to social media reports," he said.

Byron Bay Police station: 66859499.