Car thefts in Victoria skyrocket as thieves get more sophisticated

CAR thieves are committing hundreds of burglaries and thefts each week to get their hands on keys and beat sophisticated vehicle security.

Rocky Cai is one of thousands of Victorians to have their car stolen this year Picture: Christopher Chan

CAR thieves are committing hundreds of burglaries and thefts each week to get their hands on keys and beat sophisticated vehicle security.

Thefts of motor cars is rocketing with an average of 427 each week — up 65 per cent from the previous year — with almost 300 stolen using their own keys.

The Sunday Herald Sun can also reveal thieves are cloning numberplates to use on stolen cars in a bid to outwit police.

The thieves are visiting car dealerships and car sales websites to take down the details of plates for vehicles which are the same make and model of the ones they have stolen in a ploy to trick Victoria Police.

Inspector David Griffin, in charge of the vehicle theft portfolio at Victoria Police, told the Sunday Herald Sun one reason for the current trend is thieves want to use the high end cars they steal multiple times.

Crime Statistics Agency Victoria say 427 cars a week on average were stolen in Victoria in the first half of 2016.

Hume, Casey, Geelong, Dandenong and Whittlesea are the top five locations for vehicle theft.

Insp Griffin said: “It is an area of concern. Victoria Police is investing a lot of attention and effort into this.”

Police are concerned at the increase in numberplate cloning.

James Carter had his wife's car stolen from the carport of their Malvern East home in July. Picture: David Crosling

A suspicious white BMW X5 which was recently seen in South Melbourne came back as registered to a car yard in Ferntree Gully Rd following a numberplate check.

When police arrived at the car yard they found a different white BMW X5.

“There has been an increase in the misuse of vehicle numberplates,” Insp Griffin said.

“They have moved beyond theft to cloning.”

National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council executive director Ray Carroll said the duplication of numberplates was compounding the problems caused by record levels of plate thefts.

“It’s not just car thieves. It’s people doing petrol drive-offs, people who want to drive unregistered, people avoiding tolls,” Mr Carroll said

The fakes were often hard to detect from anything but close range, he said.

Police intelligence also suggests 70 per cent of cars are stolen with their own keys.

The Carter family had their BMW X5 stolen from the Malvern East home in the middle of the night in July when thieves were able to steal the keys to their car.

Although the family heard their dog barking, it was a windy night and they thought nothing of it but woke up to find the car gone.

Since the burglary the family have installed an electric sliding gate, surveillance cameras and a facial recognition intercom at the front gate.

“You don’t think it is going to happen to you and it’s infuriating,” James Carter said.

Opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue said: “Car theft has sky rocketed with gangs such as Apex emboldened following the weakening of the justice system by Daniel Andrews.”

Police Minister Lisa Neville said that most car thefts were opportunistic crimes.

“Police are targeting crime hot spots and have boosted patrols to deal with this sort of crime, but the community must play their part to prevent it,” Ms Neville said.

“Officers continue to encourage people to lock their cars and avoid making themselves an easy target.

“We’re looking at new technologies to prevent theft of license plates and developing new strategies in the scrap metal industry.”

@davidhurleyHS