These anti-theft screws should put the brakes on number plate thefts and service station drive-offs.By Callan Date
CASEY motorists will be some of the first in Victoria to embrace a screw designed to stop the increasing amount of number plates being stolen in the area.
The five-week trial, dubbed Operation Safe Plate, has police and service station owners excited at the prospect of minimising petrol drive-off crimes in Casey.
Thieves are attaching stolen plates to their cars and filling up their petrol tanks to the brim before driving off without paying and leaving the fuel attendant and police with little way of tracing the crime.
Police will be fitting the anti-theft screws to number plates in several locations, including Berwick, Narre Warren, Hallam, Cranbourne and Merinda Park train stations, in the hope it will stop stolen plates being used in petrol drive-offs.
Motorists will also be able to head to Casey Council offices in Fountain Gate to have the new screws, that can only be removed with a specifically designed screw driver, fitted to their number plates.
Recent crime figures released by Victoria Police indicate more than a 30 per cent increase in stolen plates and a 40 per cent rise in reported petrol drive-offs during the last financial year. The statistics are in clear correlation to the rising petrol prices throughout Victoria that have resulted in motorists being charged up to $1.40 a litre.
Local service station attendants are delighted with the trial and believe it will go a long way in stopping a crime that is collectively costing them thousands of dollars every week.
Manager of the Hallam United service station Datta Bomma said his business suffers one to two drive-offs every week costing him about $600 a month.
“Most of them use stolen plates so I am pleased council are bringing this in,” Mr Bomma said.
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said petrol drive-offs were an unfortunate reality in the current climate of high prices and interest rate rises.
However, Cr Bradford said council was happy to bring the free service to motorists and he hoped the anti-theft screws would reduce crime in the area.
