Police would like to remind Gold Coast residents to secure their vehicles and property after a number of vehicles were stolen in recent weeks.
Most car thefts, and theft from cars, are opportunistic in nature however, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of having your car stolen or broken into.
How you can protect your vehicle:
- Lock your vehicle, including the boot and sunroof, and remember to close all windows.
- Keep your keys out of sight and never leave vehicle keys at the front door, or 'easy to find' places like tables, benches or key hooks.
- Remove keys from the ignition and lock your vehicle if your vehicle is parked or unattended; even if it's only for a minute.
- Never hide spare keys on or in the vehicle - thieves know where to look.
- Remove all valuables and personal items when leaving your car unattended.
- Park in well-lit and highly visibly areas whenever possible, utilising off-street and secured parking.
- When parking in a garage, ensure both the garage and vehicle are locked and the garage door remotes are secured.
- Avoid marking your keys with personal or vehicle details including name, phone number or registration details.
- Consider installing a car alarm or steering wheel lock to help protect your vehicle.
- Consider installing a remote engine immobiliser which meets Australian Standards.
- Consider installing a GPS tracker to your vehicle.
The Queensland Police Service encourages the use of anti-theft screws on number plates to deter thieves. By using anti-theft screws, you can help reduce your risk of number plate theft.
How you can protect your home:
House-breaking, also known as break and enter or burglary, is one of the most common crimes and can occur at any time of the day or night.
By regularly assessing your home security, introducing targeted security measures and changes to your everyday behaviours – you can help keep your home safe.
Good home security can be achieved by following these key principles:
- Make it easy for an offender to be seen
- Make it difficult for an offender to gain entry
- Make it difficult for an offender to exit with your property
- Make it difficult for an offender to gain benefit from your property.
CCTV is a great deterrent for opportunistic criminals and has become a crucial investigative tool in modern policing.
CCTV footage holdings are regularly used to investigate and solve often serious crimes and are invaluable when used as evidence, providing an unquestionable account of the identity and actions of offenders.
Finally, get to know your neighbours; a community who knows and looks after each other is a safe one.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
