Car crime rampant

Police are pleading with motorists to stop leaving valuables in their cars as the City of Casey becomes the hardest hit municipality in the south-east with theft from motor vehicle offences.25078 Picture: Melissa Grant

By Kelly Yates
POLICE will be stepping up patrols in an effort to defeat a record amount of theft from cars.
The City of Casey is the hardest hit municipality in the south-east, with 1900 theft from motor vehicle offences from 2007 to 2008, a significant increase compared to previous years.
Police are pleading with motorists to stop leaving valuables in their cars, in particular in the lead-up to Christmas.
Casey Criminal Investigation Unit’s Detective Senior Sergeant Dean Thomas said cars left on nature strips, in driveways, or at public car parks were most likely to be broken into.
“Despite constant reminders from police, people are still leaving valuables in their cars,” he said.
“Shockingly, in some cases they’re leaving their cars unlocked.”
Det Sen Sgt Thomas said global positioning system (GPS) units were the most stolen items ahead of portable music players, laptops, sunglasses and loose change.
“A classic example is that people who remove their GPS units from the cradle still leave that cradle affixed to their window,” he said.
“A thief then walks by, sees the cradle and thinks the GPS unit is in the glovebox. Whether it is or not, you have a smashed window that costs $400 to replace, and the inconvenience of being robbed of whatever else is in there.”
Victoria Police has employed the slogan, “Remove it or lose it”, to remind people that they must remove all valuables, however significant or insignificant, from their cars no matter where they are parked.
Det Sen Sgt Thomas said prevention was the best cure to the problem.
“Remove it or lose it, the message is clear, so it really comes down to the individual and how willing they are to avoid becoming a victim of this preventable crime.”