Lock up your car and park it in the garage; and if you drive an older model, throw on the club lock.
That’s the message from the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, with figures revealing a total 3300 cars having been stolen across Brimbank between 2010 and 2013.
Meanwhile, 179 motorcycles and 160 camper- vans, trucks, buses and bobcats were also stolen.
The bulk of car thefts have taken place in St Albans (838 cases), followed by Sunshine (575), Deer Park (428), Taylors Lakes (274) and Sydenham (226).
Keilor North is the safest place to park your car, with only one car theft in four years. And those who think their driveway is the safest place to park the car could be in for a rude shock, with cars increasingly being stolen from driveways or when parked outside overnight.
National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council executive officer Ray Carroll said people driving older-model cars, including Honda Accords, Nissan Pulsars, Toyota Camrys and Holden Commodores, should consider installing an after-market immobiliser or using a club lock.
“The top three models stolen in 2013 in Brimbank were cars that did not have an immobiliser fitted when new,” Mr Carroll said.
“Non-immobilised cars have twice the theft rate of immobilised cars.”
Mr Carroll also warned drivers to never leave car keys in the ignition when they were not in the car, with many thieves stealing cars while drivers pop back inside to get something, or pay for their petrol.
Inspector Kerin Moloney said police had also seen a spike in the thefts of Nissan Skylines across Brimbank in recent months.
“We’ve had a number of incidents where there’s been stolen Nissan Skylines identified [in] committing crimes,” Inspector Moloney said.
“Criminals have always been attracted to Skylines, but it’s fair to say there is an emphasis on them at present.”
He said shopping centre car parks and train station car parks were hotspots for vehicle theft.
