Skip to main contentSkip to footer
  • 5 days ago
Police are urging Victorians to protect their vehicles amid a spike in car thefts across the state. Offenders are using new technologies that mimic keys and override settings to steal the cars. Crime Stoppers Victoria along with Victoria Police have launched a campaign to raise awareness around what communities can do to keep their cars from getting stolen.

Category

📺
TV
Transcript
00:00Ella is one of thousands of Victorians who have had their cars stolen this year.
00:07In late July, offenders took her car from outside her home in Frankston
00:11before ramming it into a police vehicle and crashing it two days later.
00:15It was just in pieces. The inside of it was destroyed.
00:19Every part of the outside of the car was destroyed. It was just horrible to look at.
00:25We're at 31,000 cars stolen for this last year.
00:28That's over 10,000 more than the previous year.
00:31Police say Ella's car was likely stolen using technology that targets cars with keyless entries and push-start systems
00:37through reprogramming devices.
00:39Our intelligence suggests that it's one in five vehicles that are stolen by this method
00:43and certain makes and models such as Holden Commodores, Toyotas and Subarus are being targeted.
00:50Some of our most prolific youth offenders are using these devices to steal cars
00:55and then driving them at extreme speed.
00:58The number of collisions involving stolen cars has risen to 760 in the last year.
01:03And police are urging people to take extra precautions to ensure their cars are safe.
01:08Police say using anti-theft devices like steering wheel locks,
01:11Faraday pouches for keys and anti-theft number plate screws can go a long way to ward off offenders.
01:17While parking in safer spots, removing valuables from vehicles and locking cars may also help.
01:23You know, you should be safe in your house. You should be safe parking out the front of your house.
01:27But in this day and age, things are changing and, you know, we just need to take those extra steps.
01:32Ella is still coming to terms with what's happened to the car she worked hard for.
01:36It's actually quite hard for my brain to comprehend that it's happened
01:40and you think it's not going to happen to you and it does. It could happen to anyone.
01:45Let's have these for free.
01:46I think we're going to die.
01:47So, thank you.

Recommended