Car theft warning for Sydney’s east and lower north shore

Police have issued a warning to residents of several salubrious neighbourhoods across the eastern suburbs and lower north shore over a spike in the theft of luxury cars.

Blue ribbon suburbs in the east are being rocked by a skyrocketing number of luxury car thefts as their complacent wealthy owners are simply failing to lock the doors.

The warning in the east comes in the same week cops on the north shore warned about a similar increase in car thefts in Mosman, Cremorne and other lower north shore suburbs.

The eastern suburbs experienced a dip in car thefts last year which has been attributed to the pandemic and increase in people staying at and working from home.

Waverley Council area only had 72 stolen vehicles in 2020 compared to 94 in 2019 while Woollahra council notched up 41 in 2020 down from 56 in 2019.

However Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Gretchen Atkins, said the number of car thefts had gone through the roof between March and May.

NSW Police Detective Inspector Gretchen Atkins. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“It feels like it’s just gone up astronomically,” she said.

“It’s not just the stolen cars. It’s the really nice designer sunglasses and handbags, the wallets full of credit cards that they’re taking from inside these unlocked cars.”

While in the previous two years the theft hot spots have been located firmly over the Bondi area, Insp Atkins said the past three months had seen Watsons Bay and Vaucluse targeted with vehicles also stolen from Bronte, Paddington and Rose Bay.

A pair of teens will go before the children’s court this week (Thursday May 27) accused of stealing cars from the east between March and May.

They allegedly include a Jeep Cherokee which was stolen from a Woollahra home on March 13 and recovered in Greenacre, a Tesla swiped from Dover Heights on May 7 and found in Bankstown, a Land Rover taken from Watsons Bay on May 15 and a Mercedes C200 believed to be stolen from the east.

It’s alleged credit cards found in the Land Rover were used fraudulently across the city.

Insp Atkins said around seven in 10 cars around Australian were stolen with their keys but she estimates up to nine in 10 are stolen in the same fashion in the east owing to the sophisticated technology in high end vehicles making them impossible to hot-wire.

Disturbing CCTV footage provided to the Wentworth Courier shows a group of young men walking along an affluent street in the east and trying door handles.

Residents are urged to keep all sets of keys out of sight in the home and never leave them in the vehicle.

“What happens is they do it here (steal an unlocked car) and then they tell all their friends about it and they come here and do it too,” Insp Atkins said.

“What I want to ask everyone is do you know where your spare car key is? Is it in your glovebox? Is it still sitting there in the manual?”

Dover Heights is one of the suburbs being tarrgetted according to cops.

Meanwhile if you’ve been waiting a while to get your UberEATS delivered in Potts Point or Rushcutters Bay, the officers at Kings Cross Police might have the answer.

Crime Prevention Officer Senior Constable Sam Donni said the area has seen an increase in the thefts of bikes used by food deliver couriers.

“They leave them unattended and unsecured when they pick up meals,” Sen Const. Donni said.

“Also the ones that are left secured to poles, offenders have used bolt cutters or other means. “Police recommend that bikes be engraved with identifying details and that owners know their serial number and have an image of their bike.”

North shore suburbs targeted in car theft spree

By David Barwell on May 26, 2021

Police are calling for the public’s help to solve a spate of luxury car thefts on Sydney’s lower north shore.

Owners of high-end vehicles have been urged to lock up their cars following a string of incidents involving unknown thieves taking vehicles during late-night home break and enters.

North Shore Police said the bulk of cases have occurred in the Mosman and Cremorne areas with cars including Mercedes and Porsches targeted this month.

CCTV footage released by North Shore Police of somebody they’d like to speak to.

A Lexus was also stolen on Stanton Rd on May 4, and on the same night cash was stolen from three other cars parked in the surrounding area including on Rawson St.

A North Shore Police spokeswoman said the thefts are typically linked with break and enters as homeowners sleep.

It is believed crime gangs from other parts of the city are targeting the lower north shore and using the vehicles to take on pursuits.

A Mercedes was among the vehicles stolen. Generic Mercedes pictured.

“The way they’re getting the vehicles is by stealing the keys and in many cases the owners are usually sound asleep and are none the wiser until they wake up in the morning and the car is gone,” she said.

“It can be very unnerving for the homeowner to know someone was inside the home.

“Generally (the offenders are) young kids wanting to get into pursuits in high-end cars and police are aware of a few cars that have turned up in car parks near where they were stolen from.

“It’s important to secure cars and make sure keys aren’t left in clear sight.”

CCTV footage has been released of a suspect in one of the home break and enters on May 14 that involved the theft of car keys left on a kitchen bench. Police said a car was not stolen in the incident.

North Shore Police said suburbs targeted include Mosman and Cremorne.

The police spokeswoman encouraged residents to maintain vigilance and to call police or Crimestoppers to report any suspicious activity.

“Unless there is CCTV it can make it difficult for us to identify suspects,” she said.

“Our message is lock your home, lock your car and keep your car keys out of sight – don’t make it easy for them.”

Police said incidents involving high-end stolen at night have also occurred elsewhere on the north shore including a Mercedes stolen from a home in Riverview and a Mercedes Coupe from a property in Chatswood earlier this year.