Geelong thugs continue to target motor vehicles in crime surge, data reveals

A Geelong father has detailed a dead-of-night encounter with a group of “sophisticated crooks” who targeted his home in a frightening example of the city’s most prolific crime.

Bell Park dad Brett Seager woke at 3am to find a bunch of sophisticated car crooks breaking in to his son Drea Seager’s (pictured) ute. They stole thousands of dollars worth of trade gear. The crime, theft from motor vehicle, is one of the most rife offences in Geelong at the moment. Photo: David Smith.

A Geelong father has detailed a dead-of-night encounter with a group of “sophisticated crooks” who targeted his home in a frightening example of the city’s most prolific crime.

Bell Park’s Brett Seager, 45, woke at 3am last month to find his son’s vehicle being broken into in a planned attack he says “took less than two minutes”.

The truck driver had just got up for his night shift when he heard “a popping noise” out the front of his home.

Brett and Drae Seager. outside their Bell Park home that was targeted by thieves. Photo: David Smith.

“I thought it sounded a bit odd,” he said.

“I’m paranoid anyway because I hear of break-ins and tradies being targeted every second day.

“I looked out the window and I heard a car drive off.”

Drea Seager, 19, had left his Makita tools, a fridge and other items in his vehicle overnight.

They were gone “within the blink of an eye” when his dad investigated.

“The back of his car was open and everything was taken,” he said.

“They were not pulled up here for more than two minutes. It took less than two minutes.”

It comes as the Crime Statistics Agency revealed theft from motor vehicle offences was the top principle crime committed in the Greater Geelong region in the year ending 2022, with a total of 2106 committed – up from 2042 the previous year.

Geelong Superintendent Peter Ward said there had been a slight decrease in criminal offending overall “year-on-year” across the city since 2014, despite the prevalence of car crime.

Criminals are known to target valuable items left in vehicles across Geelong.

“Our police members have been investing significant energy towards preventing and disrupting offending connected to property theft including burglary and vehicle crime,” he said.

“We have a number of dedicated patrols in place, which see police out in force every single night in the areas where we know this kind of offending is most likely to occur.”

The data also revealed Geelong, Corio, Norlane, Lara and Belmont were the suburbs with the most overall criminal offences recorded in 2022.

Mr Seager said he was certain the thieves who hit his home “were on their way back” for a second crack after he left for work.

He was driving up his street when he noticed a black Jeep driving past with all its occupants wearing surgical face masks.

“At 3am in the morning it just looked very strange,” he said.

“I didn’t feel right so I drove around the block, and as I did I saw them driving back up.

“I took the rego and sent it to my son so he could give it to the police to check up on.

“It turned out the plates were stolen.

Victoria Police have been unable to solve the alleged offence, but the hardworking father conceded it was a difficult task.

“They were 100 per cent coming back for a second go, but I noticed them and they noticed me,” he said.

“You can have security cameras and all this sort of stuff but at the end of the day it doesn’t help. They wear masks, they wear gloves. They are quite sophisticated these crooks.

“It does make you uneasy.”

Originally published as Geelong thugs continue to target motor vehicles in crime surge, data reveals