Theft hot spots

By Kelly Yates
RESIDENTIAL estates in Narre Warren and Cranbourne East are hot spots for thieves stealing cash and valuables from cars.
Casey police revealed this week that thieves were striking at night in the Hillsmeade Estate in Narre Warren South and the Hunt Club Estate in Cranbourne East.
The thieves are targeting cars parked along streets, on front yards and in open garages and stealing Global Positioning System (GPS) units.
Police say putting a stop to the high amount of theft from motor vehicle offences continued to be one of their top priorities in the City of Casey. In just over a month, there have been 136 thefts from cars.
Leading Senior Constable Mick Gledhill said of the 136 thefts from 1 August to 7 September, 93 of them were from unlocked cars and 51 per cent of those cars were parked in home driveways.
“We don’t get too many reports of theft from motor vehicles where the thief smashes a window to get into the car,” he said.
“There’s generally no sign of forced entry which shows people are leaving their cars unlocked.”
The latest Victoria Police crime statistics for July 2009 to June 2010 were released by police last week.
The figures highlight that the rate of theft from motor vehicle and theft of motor vehicle offences had dropped compared to the previous year.
Leading Sen Const Gledhill said police were frustrated at the amount of thefts in Casey.
Police are now calling on the community to help police with their crime fighting efforts by locking cars and not leaving valuables in sight.
“We can’t be everywhere. Casey residents need to start taking responsibility as these offences are preventable,” Leading Sen Const Gledhill said.
Thieves are also stealing goods from cars parked at Westfield Fountain Gate in Narre Warren.
In a bid to tackle the problem, police have set up tasking units made up of police from Casey’s three police stations, Endeavour Hills, Narre Warren and Cranbourne.
The units will be doing extra patrols in the hot spot areas, with the aim of having a greater police presence.
Leading Sen Const Gledhill said drivers needed to keep their GPS units out of sight.
“A lot of people are half way there and putting their GPS units in the glove box,” he said.
“But they are still leaving the bracket attached to the windscreen so the thief knows it’s most likely still in the car.”