Few people have the money to replace cars and tools when they are stolen, especially not university students.
With thefts of, and from, motor vehicles being a major issue in Brimbank, Victoria University and Brimbank police have got together for Operation Unisafe.
In Brimbank in the 12 months to March, there were 997 reports of thefts of motor vehicles and 2408 reports of thefts from vehicles, with power tools one of the main items stolen.
In the operation, conducted on Tuesday, police attended the university’s Sunshine campus to help install one-way screws for number plates, with trade tool retailer Total Tools providing an engraver to inscribe ID.
“We have a pretty good relationship with the university and we thought, what better location to have the operation,” said Leading Senior Constable Matthew Mudie.
University Trade College operations manager Peter Turner said the operation was about safety and education on issues affecting young people, specifically around cars.
“It provides students with an opportunity to have conversations with police around issues like hoon driving,” he said. “They can hear the consequences and get an appreciation of the dangers. Number plate theft is rife in Brimbank.
It causes inconvenience and … financial implications.”
