VEHICLE THEFT: Police reveal how and why cars are being stolen on the Fraser Coast

Most common reason for stolen cars not what you would expect

Fraser Coast police have talked about the most common reason for people stealing cars in the region.

Fraser Coast police have shared the most common reason cars are reported stolen on the Fraser Coast.

Acting Inspector Wade Lee said the most stolen vehicle reports came from Hervey Bay and incidents stemmed civil matters regarding vehicle ownership disputes where one person had lent their car to another person.

Regarding actual vehicle theft he said vehicles had been stolen from unattended properties and incidents of sneak thieving where offenders sneak into homes to steal car keys to get access to vehicles.

"It's about how easily thieves can access keys which facilitates vehicle theft," Inspector Lee said.

Acting Detective Inspector Wade Lee at the Maryborough Police Station. Photo: Stuart Fast

 

"There are various groups from outside the community who use stolen vehicles to commute between places … we often get stolen cars from down Brisbane, Gold Coast and out west dumped on the Fraser Coast.

"There's a pretty good chance we can return a stolen vehicle. With modern technology, we're moving to positions where stolen vehicles are traceable. Social media is allowing us to track vehicles well as people post about where they've seen them."

He said given the Fraser Coast's rural location, motorbikes and quad bikes were included in the region's stolen vehicle data.

Since January 2020, roughly nine vehicles are reported stolen each month and while the rate was not excessively high, Inspector Lee said it was higher than police wanted it to be.

He said for people better protect themselves from vehicle theft, they should secure their homes and secure their car keys by putting them away, not leaving them in the open for thieves.

Originally published as VEHICLE THEFT: Police reveal how and why cars are being stolen on the Fraser Coast