Car crime: Simple way to stop the kiddie crooks

An old-fashioned way to stop car thefts is fast becoming popular again, stopping kiddie crooks in their tracks. Here’s how you can reduce the risk of your vehicle being taken.

If you need to leave a car parked outside at night, you may familiar with an exciting new morning ritual. As a resident of a property with a two-car garage and three vehicles, this columnist is part of the club.

It goes something like this. Wake up, bleary eyed. Reach over and check your phone. Spy messages from neighbours warning that thieves have been active on your street overnight.

Head outside for the exciting task of checking whether your vehicle remains present, and also, if all its windows are still intact.

All going well your car will still be present and correct. But expect to repeat the game of ‘is my car still there’ some time next week.

There may, however, be some inexpensive steps you can take to ensure you’re one of the lucky few that never gets left without wheels.

Being the old-school curmudgeon that he is, this author has invested the princely sum of $44.95 in a wheel lock. Their old-fashioned and clunky nature means they don’t have the greatest reputation – witness how actor Greg Larsen used a wheel lock to such great comedic effect in TV series The Tourist.

But my humble wheel lock may be what’s keeping me on the road without dramas.

Unsophisticated, old-school and back in fashion – spiralling rates of car theft has seen the humble steering wheel lock come back into fashion.

It appears I’m not the only one who is a convert to the merits of the devices, with a Repco representative telling Nine News recently that wheel locks are “in very high demand”.

The fact that many nocturnal car thieves are opportunistic underage offenders who like to be on their way quickly is part of the reason the devices are so useful.

Security camera video shared by a Gold Coast resident a couple of weeks ago showed suspected thieves approaching her son’s car, spotting the steering wheel lock and moving on.

“If it wasn’t on I don’t think my son would still have his car today,” she said.

But it’s not just the kiddie crooks who don’t like them. In the United States, a former car thief who claims to have spent an extraordinary 27 years in prison – not something that would easily happen here – went viral earlier this year with a TikTok video advising car owners how to keep their vehicles safe.

“As you guys know I specialise in stealing cars and breaking into houses. That’s why I went to prison,” she said.

“To bring awareness, I’m going to give you guys three ways to prevent your car from being broken into or stolen, from an ex con’s perspective.

“No.1 there’s something called a steering wheel lock.”

Suspected juvenile offenders caught on CCTV with a stolen car at Helensvale last week. Picture: Queensland Police Service whistleblower

Yes, the things can be cut off with enough effort. But not many of the dopey kids hanging around our streets at night are going to bother. No more than they’re bothered to learn how to drive a manual.

Our TikTok friend also recommended wheel locks and a simple car alarm system – the louder the better. The alarm, though, might mean a couple of 3am wakeups. I’m not sure I fancy adding that to the morning ritual.

But if a steering wheel lock can avoid a morning that begins with an empty space of the driveway, I reckon that’s $45 well spent.

Follow @keithjwoods