Wollongong police boss Chris Craner has hit back at criticisms of a recent operation to target thefts from motor vehicles.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Detectives have been walking northern suburbs streets at night, “like thieves would”, and checking whether cars have been locked and valuables left inside.
They found 30 vehicles unlocked while parked in driveways and on the road overnight in suburbs from Corrimal to Helensburgh.
Inside the cars, police officers left letters warning owners they were putting themselves at risk, and that leaving cars unlocked was an offence that carried a fine of $108.
The news drew criticism from some residents, however Superintendent Craner said he would make no apologies for the approach.
“It’s a bit of a scare tactic and it’s come as a last resort,’’ he said.
“You tell me what you’d rather, police leaving a letter in your car saying the cars been left unlocked and we’ve had some incidents in the areas, or you come out in the morning and your wallet’s been pinched?
“The personal feeling that knowing some grub has been in your car makes you feel sick. So if I’ve upset a few people because they don’t like the fact we’ve gone and done it … if we’ve prevented a steal from motor vehicle I think that’s my job.”
Supt Craner said on average there were 80 thefts from motor vehicles each month across his command.
In the Helensburgh area, 86 per cent of cars broken into had been left unlocked.
“We have tried and tried and tried through media engagement but the message is just not sinking in,” Supt Craner said.
“So I’ve got a massive issue with trying to educate the area that they should lock their cars.”
As a last resort, police chose to “do what offenders do”.
“Walk down a dark street, looking in car windows, looking for valuables. If doors were unlocked we opened them and left a note inside saying we are trying to reduce the number of steal from motor vehicles and by the way leaving your car unlocked is an offence.”
Enforcing the penalty was unlikely, he said, however if talk of the fines and police officers opening car doors was starting conversation then he was doing his job.
“People might think it’s unreasonable, but it’s generating conversation, raising awareness and that’s what we want. And I bet it’s making people who have a problem with it go out and lock their car.”
