Car thieves ram main gates of Cairns One unit complex
Gated unit complexes, previously thought crime-proof, are now being targeted by car thieves. Following the recent ramming of gates at Cairns One police have urged residents to be vigilant.
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Gated unit complexes previously believed crime proof are now being targeted by car thieves as evidenced by the brazen targeting of Cairns One at the weekend and the ramming of heavy steel entry gates in stolen cars.
To date this month 80 cars have already been stolen.
A significant increase on the January stolen car total of 58 and 70 vehicles ripped off in February.
On Sunday residents reported hearing a loud bang from the underground car park in building two and later realised the garage door had been smashed down from the inside.
At least three units were broken into at the weekend at the complex of 468 luxury apartments on Gregory St.
And youths were also disturbed casing vehicles in garages attached to buildings five and six.
“This is the worst it has been in the nine years I’ve lived here,” one resident said.
Thieves then smashed through heavy steel entry gates in a stolen car to get away from the Westcourt apartment complex.
Management restricted access to damaged gates at the weekend and urged residents to use another entrance.
It’s unknown how thieves gained access to well-secured lobby areas before accessing individual units, but it has been suggested residents assisted thieves to get inside.
Detective Acting Inspector Jason Chetham confirmed there had been a recent spike in complex breaks.
He said usually groups of thieves hit a string of units in the same night.
“What we will find we will get a reasonable amount of offences in the same complex as they go from unit to unit,” he said.
“People probably could be lulled into a false sense of security and we know there are always offenders out there looking for opportunities and we always need to be vigilant.”
In terms of smashing through gates Det Insp Chetham said the reckless manner in which young offenders were known to drive stolen cars was an extra reason to not attempt any kind of citizen action.
“That’s dangerous driving and that’s why we ask people not to try and apprehend the offenders themselves because we know they don’t drive well.”
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Originally published as Car thieves ram main gates of Cairns One unit complex
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