Tairāwhiti Police are reminding the community to keep their vehicles and belongings secure following recent thefts.
Police in our area receive a number of reports each month of vehicles being broken into or stolen.
These thefts often occur when a vehicle has been parked outside the owner's house, on grass verges, or in their driveway, and have largely occurred at night.
First and foremost, please ensure you secure your vehicles - if you have a garage, use it, park down a driveway, or if you're parking on the street make sure you do so in a well-lit area.
Lock your vehicle and take your keys with you.
If you have a gate, close and lock it to deter people from entering the property.
Always remove your valuables.
Vehicles left with valuable items in plain sight create opportunities for offenders on the lookout for easy targets.
And lastly, use car alarms if you have them fitted, and consider investing in an immobiliser or a wheel lock.
Steering wheel locks are available from most motor accessory retailers and will cost you nothing compared to the cost of repairing a stolen vehicle.
Tairāwhiti Police take this kind of offending seriously and we welcome help and information from the community that can help us prevent further thefts.
