Christchurch Police are investigating an alarming increase in theft from cars in the Halswell area over the last month.
50 offences have been reported to Police and more may have gone unreported. Personal items such as wallets, phones, tools and cash have been taken.
There have been several incidents where purchases were made using Pay Wave cards after they were stolen from cars.
In almost all cases the vehicles targeted were left unlocked and entry was not forced.
Police are warning people they need to be more vigilant to avoid becoming the target of opportunistic crimes.
Senior Constable Deborah Smalley says an unlocked car in your driveway is not safe or secure and people need to be more mindful of security.
“We need the public to make an extra effort here to remove valuables from their vehicles if they want to stop thieves taking their possessions. Lock it or lose it,” Ms Smalley says.
Some advice people can follow to protect themselves and their belongings:
· Always take keys with you when you leave your vehicle
· Always lock you vehicle when you leave it
· Close all windows, including sunroofs
· Park in well-lit areas if possible
· Try not to leave valuables in your car. Thieves will break in for something as small as loose change.
· If you have to leave valuables in your car, make sure they are out of sight, but remember hiding them is not as safe as removing them.
· Don’t leave documents with personal information or keys to your house, business, boat etc. in your vehicle.
· Consider installing an alarm to provide extra security.
· Register serial numbers on the SNAP website http://www.snap.org.nz
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre