Theft from motor vehicle offences account for a quarter of all the property crime in Cardinia, and almost 40 per cent of reported thefts from vehicles relate to stolen number plates.
In the 12 months to March 2024, Pakenham and Officer accounted for the greatest number of thefts from motor vehicles, with 360 and 164 reports made, respectively.
While places including Beaconsfield (40), Cockatoo (20) and Emerald made the top five locations, their reports of thefts were much lower.
Alarmingly, 57 per cent of vehicles in Cardinia that were targeted were unlocked or showed no sign of forced entry.
That number was even higher across Casey (60 per cent) and slightly less in Dandenong (49 per cent).
Police are reminding all residents that the simplest way to avoid falling victim is to lock your car doors, and never leave valuables in plain sight.
While loose cash, phones and sunglasses are among items commonly stolen from vehicles, a huge driver in thefts from cars across Cardinia is number plates.
More than half of all the reports made to police across the Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia areas regarding thefts from cars relate to stolen number plates.
Offenders steal number plates to fix to other vehicles to aid in further criminality, avoiding detection when committing crimes such as petrol drive-offs, burglaries and drug trafficking.
While parking vehicles in a garage would be the recommendation, not everyone has that luxury.
Police also encourage residents to use anti-theft screws on number plates as a way to deter thieves.
“Anti-theft screws can be removed, but they take a lot longer than standard screws, taking a quick get-away off the cards for offenders,” Cardinia Local Area Commander Inspector Scott Brennan said.
“While brute force can sometimes rip anti-theft screws off, the damage caused to the number plates by doing so renders them unusable.
“Victoria Police’s SafePL8 initiative aims to make number plates harder to steal and therefore prevents them from being used illegally. We offer anti-theft screws at every police station in Cardinia, free of charge.
“They can also be purchased from hardware stores, automotive part stores and petrol stations for just a few dollars – which is a much cheaper and convenient option than having to replace your plates.
“Local police, Neighbourhood Watch and the SES also host SafePL8 days at hardware stores where we provide the screws free of charge to residents, so keep an eye out on your local Eyewatch page on Facebook for our next event near you.”
