Brimbank police are cracking down on thefts from motor vehicles in the lead-up to Christmas with operations under way in shopping centre and train station carparks.
Brimbank’s Inspector Chris Gilbert says police are patrolling the Watergardens and Keilor Plains station carparks and will conduct operations at major shopping centres in coming weeks.
Police will also doorknock homes and businesses to warn about the risks involved in leaving cars unlocked and valuables inside.
Victoria Police statistics reveal 2275 thefts from motor vehicles in Brimbank in the 2013-14 financial year.
Inspector Gilbert said opportunistic thieves were taking advantage of people leaving bags, wallets, GPS units and other valuables in their cars in plain sight.
“It’s easily the most frustrating crime that we deal with,” Inspector Gilbert said. “People are effectively inviting thieves into their cars.
“If you go to the shops and you’ve already got bags in the car, stick them in the boot.
“Most thieves are opportunistic. A small number of people are responsible for large amounts of crime.
“You can prevent a crime simply by taking a couple of simple steps: lock your car and clean your car out.
“If there’s nothing in your car to be seen, they won’t break in.”
A 76-year-old Grey Army gardener learned this lesson the hard way when tools valued at $3000 were stolen from his van while he was doing his morning workout.
Ignaz Martinu returned to his Toyota Hiace in an off-street carpark on Taylors Road about 7am on August 22 to find the passenger-side window smashed and a range of tools stolen, including a whippersnipper, chainsaw and hedgecutters.
Meanwhile, police have put Brimbank and Melton residents on alert after recent burglaries in which thieves stole garage remote controls from cars to facilitate house break-ins.
