Police charge 26 in crackdown on repeat offenders and car theft hotspots
Dozens of people have been arrested and more than 200 charges laid after a police crackdown on car thieves, recovering stolen vehicles and other items in the sting.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Police have charged 26 people as part of a major crackdown on car thieves in Melbourne’s southeast.
Detectives from Frankston and Mornington launched Operation Pandora on January 7 and have already laid more than 200 charges and recovered a number of stolen vehicles and property.
VICTORIANS WARNED TO STAY ALERT FOR CAR THIEVES
MAN’S TWO CARS STOLEN AND VANDALISED, THEN AGAIN
Charges including aggravated burglary, burglary, theft of motor vehicle, theft from a motor vehicle, reckless conduct endangering life and obtaining property by deception have been laid, with 17 people remanded in custody.
Detective Sen-Sgt Stephen McKenzie, from the Frankston Crime Investigation Unit, told the Herald Sun police had been concentrating on known hot spots as well as repeat offenders.
“Local police have been working extremely hard to identify and arrest those responsible for vehicle crime,” he said.
“As part of Operation Pandora, we’ve seen a number of incidents where cars have been stolen via unlocked garage doors or keys left in an unlocked car.
“There were also incidents where thieves entered a victim’s home via an unlocked door or window, (with) car keys removed and then used to steal the car.”
Police have issued advice to people in a bid to drive down vehicle crime.
With modern cars almost impossible for thieves to hot wire, police say criminals now have to steal the key first.
“People often see vehicle crime as a victimless crime, so don’t always prioritise the security of their car or keys,” Sen-Sgt McKenzie said.
“However, these are not victimless crimes — we know that stolen cars are often used to commit other crimes such as ram raids, police car rammings, pursuits, petrol drive-offs and evading police.
TEENS CHARGED FOR STRING OF BURGLARIES, CAR THEFTS
“If your wallet or handbag is stolen from your car, there is also the chance that someone may fraudulently use your credit cards or personal identification, leaving you thousands of dollars out of pocket.
“Vehicle crime is often opportunistic and there are a number of simple steps that the community can take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.”
People should lock their cars at all times — even when parking at home in the driveway or garage, secure keys and never leave them in the car, park in well-lit and secure areas and not leave valuable items in the vehicle.
Police across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula will continue to run Operation Pandora over coming weeks.