In the ACT, 21 cars on average are stolen every week. In the last year alone, more than 1,100 cars were stolen in Canberra. Motor vehicle theft has become one of the most troubling issues for ACT Policing.

To combat this, Crime Stoppers ACT today launched a new campaign attempting to reduce the amount of motor vehicle thefts that occur in the ACT.

The campaign urges Canberrans to lock their cars, to keep their car keys in secure places, and to keep valuables in cars out of sight. The public should also contact Crime Stoppers if they see any suspicious activity involving motor vehicles. 

ACT Policing Acting Commander Matt Heather outlined some actions that Canberrans can take to “reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim” of motor theft. These actions include locking all car doors, rolling up all windows, parking in well-lit areas, and keeping valuables and keys on person or stored away securely.  

“It’s really easy to protect your own vehicle,” Acting Commander Heather said. 

He also noted that “these incidents are usually crimes of opportunity”, as “offenders are less likely to break in if they can’t see anything worth stealing,” so taking these steps helps to protect people from becoming an “easy target”. 

Acting Commander Heather encouraged people “to look after their vehicle security and particularly to make sure that they don’t leave valuables visible in their property, whether that be their phone or their handbag, and to be very mindful about where they place their keys”.

“This includes even placing them inside your own home. We have had instances where homes have been broken into, car keys have been stolen and then used in the theft of a motor vehicle,” he said.   

“About one in four cars are stolen using keys, so this campaign urges you to lock your vehicle, even when you’re at home, and store your car keys in a safe and secure place.”  

Crime Stoppers ACT, an organisation working to bridge the gap between law enforcement agencies and the community, also urges Canberrans to be aware of and report suspicious activity involving motor vehicles.  

“We want the public to be on the lookout for unusual or unfamiliar cars coming and going; unfamiliar cars parked in the street for a number of days, cars that just seem out of place; people swapping cars or dropping other people off to collect cars,” Crime Stoppers ACT’s chair, Oliver Forrester, said. 

“We’re asking the community to keep their eyes and ears out for any incidents relating to stolen motor vehicles,” said Acting Commander Heather, who reiterated the importance of Crime Stoppers, especially in crimes such as motor theft.

“We also rely on information from the public,” he said. “As always, it’s really important to share information with the police, and we do encourage people to report things that they see to Crime Stoppers. It’s very important to note that matters can be reported anonymously. And every piece of information does help police in investigating matters and can lead to prosecution.” 

Mr Forrester said that “Crime Stoppers provides the community with an easy way to report information about stolen motor vehicles,” and that this reporting can be done anonymously.  

“If you do have information about any incidents relating to stolen motor vehicles, we’re asking the community to report them to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via our website at www.crimestoppersact.com.au.” 

By Tahir Rangwalla, Work Experience Student

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