Following a high number of thefts from cars last night, Police are seeking help to identify a second offender after an arrest was made today.
Last night, at least 15 cars were broken into at a Willis Street car park and a number of items were taken.
Police are actively deploying resources to the suburb to reduce an increase in thefts from vehicles parked in the Newtown area over recent weeks.
Majority of these thefts have involved loose change, wallets and small valuables which have been left in vehicles.
Inspector Clint Walker, Wellington’s acting Area Prevention Manager, is reminding Wellington residents that there are some simple measures you can take to deter this type of offending.
“This offending is incredibly frustrating for victims. Not only do they suffer the loss of the property stolen, the inconvenience and costs associated to repairing their vehicle adds to their stress. It is best to keep property out of sight from the windows of any vehicles and, where possible, any items of value should be taken out of the car when you lock it.”
“We are investigating all of the received reports from last night, but we do ask motorists to ensure they are taking simple precautions to prevent becoming a victim of opportunistic offenders.”
“It’s a lot easier to remove items from your vehicle when you lock it than trying to replace any items that have been taken. Thefts of important personal property such as wallets that often contain ID documents and credit cards lead to additional stress and re-victimisation in the event that stolen IDs and cards are used by offenders to commit fraud.”
In this case, investigations completed by the Area Tactical Crime Unit have resulted in one man being arrested and Police would like to hear from anyone who may be able to identify the second man from the still images attached. He is distinctly identifiable by the bag he is wearing in the images.
“Unfortunately, Police are unable to do this alone. From taking the simple steps to ensure your car is free of valuables, through to reporting incidents and suspicious behaviour to Police, we can continue to make sure we hold these offenders to account.”
If anyone does have any information on the events from last night, please contact the Wellington Central Police Station on 04 381 2000 and asking for Constable John Pitchford.
Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via the organisation Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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