Driving away the car thieves

Tom Jacka fits tamper-proof screws to a number plate watched by Brooke Turton. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Police and community groups are fighting back against thieves who prey on cars parked at holiday spots.

"Visitors have had an absolute gutsful of returning to their cars and finding everything gone," said Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey.

"The piles of glass at spots like Fairy Falls and the walking track off Piha Rd tell you what goes on."

Police, park rangers and parking wardens in Waitakere City are joining forces in a crackdown on car break-ins and conversions at Auckland's west coast recreation spots.

In previous summers, the carparks at the beaches and remote walking tracks of the Waitakere Ranges have been targeted by thieves.

Other areas are also taking action. In the Bay of Plenty this year, the Katikati Night Owls community patrol set up a daytime equivalent, the Day Larks, to keep an eye on carparks.

Thefts in Rotorua and Taupo saw police boost patrols of carparks, and warn motorists to take valuables with them.

In the Bay of Plenty, police last month set up a special unit to patrol areas such as Mount Maunganui.

In Northland, the Ambassadors scheme is organised by the Whangarei District Council, and patrols carparks at tourist hotspots. Last year police credited it with an 11 per cent drop in reported thefts from vehicles.

Other groups work under the Community Patrols of New Zealand, in which community members work with police to patrol their towns.

The network has more than 80 groups nationwide, run by about 7000 volunteers.

In Waitakere, police community relations officer Sergeant Brian Louden said police were increasing their presence.

Two officers, who had a wide knowledge of the area and thieves' habits, were assigned to the beaches of Piha, Bethells and Muriwai.

They could be quickly on hand whereas it could take city-based police about 30 minutes to reach these spots when people reported a crime.

"It will put a damper on what traditionally happens," he said. "I believe people need to see their police."

Officers joined other agencies in patrolling carparks.

"They are checking to see people haven't left laptops, sunglasses and wallets on seats of their cars like they do. Thieves like to shop, too."

There are more than 4000 thefts from cars a year in Waitakere, North Shore and Rodney, and about 2600 cars are stolen.

Petrol price rises have also encouraged thieves to steal registration plates from cars for their own vehicles so they can drive off from petrol stations without paying. All that station's security cameras record are the stolen plate numbers.

A Safe Plates scheme - to fit tamper-proof number plate screws - is being sponsored by Caltex, Mitre 10 and fastenings supplier Anzor.

Piha surf lifesavers yesterday fitted screws to cars at the Arataki Visitor Centre in the ranges, as part of the Waitakere agencies' war on vehicle crime.

The city council's crime prevention co-ordinator, Mark Maxlow, said the campaign would continue for at least two years.

Council parking infringement officers would also patrol carparking areas and leave brochures containing tips to prevent car theft.

The Auckland Regional Council western parks manager, Bruce Andrell, said rangers were also part of the campaign, looking for suspicious activity at remote spots seven days a week.

He said the council had installed a security camera at the Fairy Falls carpark, which has been a notorious spot for vehicle crime.

The council had also trimmed vegetation at carparks so cars were not hidden from each other.