Hawke's Bay police are cautioning heavy vehicle owners to record the make, model and size of batteries after seeing a rise in the number of heavy vehicle battery thefts.
Over the past few months there have been 19 reports of heavy vehicle batteries being stolen from orchards, commercial businesses and rural properties in Napier, and 13 reports in Hastings.
Acting Detective Sergeant Stephen Leonard said people should make an effort to record the make, model and size of their batteries.
"Making these batteries difficult for thieves to get to by parking your vehicles in a secure place or in a well-lit area is the best thing to do," Leonard said.
"But if you can't do that, then marking the battery in some way to make it identifiable and hard for thieves to get off is the next best thing."