Police are urging Craigieburn residents to heed warnings and lock their cars after a spate of thefts from cars in the Highlands estate.
Hume crime prevention officer Jacqui Newman said about 100 cars were broken into and ransacked for valuables in the past month in Craigieburn.
“We’re talking upwards of 20 break-ins a week,” she said. “People are just walking along, checking to see whether cars are unlocked. They don’t discriminate between cars parked in driveways and those in the street.”
She said that despite ongoing police warnings to residents about the dangers of leaving cars unlocked, and letter-drops to that effect, car owners were not taking responsibility.
“A lot of people’s attitude is: why would I lock my car if they’re just going to smash my windows? But locking up is a deterrent,” she said.
Coins, sunglasses, navigation devices, laptops and iPads are also being left in full view.
Leading Senior Constable Newman said cars left unlocked were being ransacked, but locked cars with valuable items left on display were being broken into as well.
“We’re trying to get the community to take some kind of responsibility.”
She said a “remove it, lock it or lose it” campaign, encouraging drivers to look after their property and remove valuables from their cars, had been ongoing now for five years.
“I’ve been a crime prevention officer for two years and I feel like I’m banging my head against the wall,” she said.
Crime Statistics Agency figures reveal that between October 2014 and September last year, 2309 thefts from car offences were recorded in Hume, a 14.5 per cent increase on the previous 12-month period.
