Major police operation targeting house breakers, car thieves

A surge in crime has prompted a major police operation targeting a dozen “crime clusters’’ across Adelaide’s suburbs.

• Rise in car thefts in 2019

Police have launched a major operation to combat a major spike in break-ins, car thefts and fraud cases in metropolitan Adelaide.

Hundreds of uniform and plain-clothed officers will be part of Operation Hurricane, using overt and covert tactics in the crime crackdown.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Dickson said police would concentrate their activities on a dozen “crime clusters’’ across Adelaide’s suburbs that had recorded higher rates of crime and where victims had been identified.

Over the past year, crime figures reveal significant surges in offences, notably property break-ins, illegal use of a motor vehicle, theft from shops, fraud and receiving stolen goods — and increases in aggravated robberies have topped 26 per cent.

Mr Dickson said while increases were recorded in many categories, some were more pronounced, with thieves targeting more personable items.

He said wallets and handbags containing credit cards and mobile phones – many of which have a tap-and-go facility - were high on the thieves list.

And, as a result there has been a 43 per cent increase in fraud and deception cases as stolen credit cards and mobiles were used by thieves.

“People need to be aware that some of these things are a commodity and should be better protected,’’ he said.

“Every second person now has their credit card on their mobile phone. They are as good as cash and you would not leave cash lying around either at home or visible in your car.

“The theft of mobile phones, wallets and purses has been increasing from both homes and vehicles as they are targeted.’’

Significant increases were also reported in other areas, including car and number plate theft as well as property thief from vehicles.

Resources for the operation have been drawn from both uniform and plain-clothed areas of the department – along with additional forensic officers.

Mr Dickson said the arrest rate for robbery-related cases had remained steady, but the opportunities for thieves had increased as consumers adapted cashless technology.

“It is almost impossible for us to arrest everybody doing this, so it is as much about prevention by users now.

“People need to treat these things as they would cash,’’ he said.

A cache of allegedly stolen goods found in Broadview this month. Picture: SA Police

Operation Hurricane will also see additional crime scene investigators deployed to gain more forensic evidence for both prosecutions and intelligence to identify offenders committing multiple crimes.

Mr Dickson stressed that the community needed to take more precautions to help curb a changing trend in personal crimes.

He said people should increasing their own security by locking their homes and vehicles, not leaving valuables in view and even installing apps such as “find me’’ on their mobile telephone.

“We have been very successful in finding phones and tablets when that has been activated,’’ he said.

While police will concentrate on the specific crime clusters, analysts will monitor crime in surrounding suburbs to determine levels of change because of the increased presence and activity.

Originally published as Major police operation targeting house breakers, car thieves