Car crime bill tops $30 million as police struggle to contain opportunistic thieves
Seasoned youth criminals are training up their own apprentices to break into vehicles, and steal tools from tradies, as Melbourne’s car crime skyrockets to $30 million. SEE THE HOTSPOTS
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Almost $30 million of valuables have been stolen from cars as police struggle to contain opportunistic crims across Melbourne.
Of the $28.9 million in goods taken from vehicles across Victoria in the past year, the suburban areas of Casey, Darebin and Glen Eira were hardest hit.
Senior police have revealed seasoned youth criminals were now training others how to steal from cars and commit crimes on their behalf.
The Leader can also reveal nearly 20,000 vehicles were stolen across the state in the year ending September 2019 – more than a quarter without forced entry – as lazy owners continue to make it easy for thieves.
Frustrated police have said their one simple message urging motorists to lock up and remove valuables continues to be ignored.
Nissans have also become the vehicle of choice to steal, according to police, with older models “easy to access and steal”.
Superintendent Sean Woods said most car crime offenders were repeat offenders.
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Operation Impacter in the city’s north was responsible for more than 400 arrests in 2019 in relation to more 1000 vehicle crime offences, while Operation Tidal in Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia has picked up 445 car theft and 186 theft from motor vehicle offences since April last year.
“In recent times, particularly in the youth category, we are aware there are some criminals that are teaching people without criminal histories how to commit these crimes,” Supt Woods said.
“They then use those people to commit the crimes on their behalf so they become the receivers of the stolen property.”
When asked if the offending was becoming part of an organised crime network, Supt Woods said there were isolated instances of it.
“This is an opportunistic crime,” he said.
“Whether it be someone at school or someone within their friendship or criminal group talking to each other and then they start committing the crime because they are aware of how easy it is.
“But we’re aware of who these people are and we target them.”
The Crime Statistics Agency figures showed number plates, with 20,132 instances, were the most common items to be stolen from cars in the year ending September last year, followed by tools with 19,674, cash and documents with 17,272 and personal items with 15,424.
Casey car owners suffered the most with $1.3 million worth of goods taken, including $675,000 worth of tools.
Crooks pocketed $1.2 million worth of valuables each in Darebin and Glen Eira, with tools again the hottest property.
Hume came in fourth with more than $960,000 worth taken, while Greater Dandenong also saw significant amounts with almost $700,000 worth stolen.
Hume accounted for 1169 of the 19,520 vehicles stolen across the state, followed by Casey with 1024, Darebin with 896 and Greater Dandenong with 851.
“Power tools are massive for us,” Supt Woods said.
“I appreciate the difficulties of trades people having to lock these away, take them inside or put them in their garage but they're an easy target and easy to dispose of.”
He said recording serial numbers and marking them with secret pens would help increase the likelihood of tools being returned, if stolen.
Superintendent Paul Hollowood, of the Southern Metro police region, said the number one way of stealing a car was acquiring the keys.
He said he believed the problem was people’s level of comfort in terms of security.
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“If we leave money out in the open, if we leave keys out in the open, for somebody who does then enter the house, it's far easier for them to actually steal those items and take your car away as well,” Supt Hollowood said.
“It really just reinforces that basic level of security and awareness of securing your belongings you need to apply everywhere even inside your home.
“Once upon a time it was a situation that older cars were targeted because they were easy to steal without keys, now we tend to find it's more the high end vehicles.”