Thefts of and from vehicles in Wairarapa are sitting at an uncomfortable high.
In the past 30 days, Wairarapa Police community and rural manager Steve Cameron has told the Times-Age, 62 vehicles around the region have either been stolen or broken into.
Police believe that youth are responsible for the majority of these thefts.
“When these vehicles are stolen, they are usually taken on joy rides and badly damaged,” Cameron said.
“A recent trend also shows that some of these vehicles are being driven out of the district to locations as far away as Palmerston North and Porirua and then dumped on the side of the road.”
The spike in car break-ins is largely attributed to expensive items being left out in plain view in vehicles that have very poor or no security features.
Police have provided the following advice to help prevent your vehicle being targeted:
- Use a steering lock – “these are inexpensive and a great deterrent”;
- Install an immobiliser;
- Avoid leaving your vehicle parked on the street if possible and park down driveways and out of sight from the road;
- If parking on the street, park in well-lit areas such as under streetlights;
- Never leave any valuables in your vehicle;
- Have a car alarm installed;
- Install a tracking device in your car.
“If you should see anything suspicious in your neighbourhood, like youth walking down the neighbour’s driveway when you know no one is home, or a suspicious vehicle scoping out vehicles parked in a street,” Cameron said, “please urgently report it to police by dialling 111.”
