Maitland’s rate of theft from motor vehicles could by cut in half if people simply locked their cars, according to police.
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Two recent incidents at Rutherford have shown the difference in taking those two extra actions, after thieves tried to break into two cars on the same night just a few streets apart.
Thieves got their hands on a wallet from an unlocked ute on Sapphire Drive about 3.40am on Friday morning.
About 10 minutes later, a locked Kia on Crothers Street was broken into, but luckily nothing was inside at the time.
Police said the incidents showed how important it was to lock cars and take valuables inside.
“More often than not, these are crimes of opportunities,” Maitland police officer in charge Chief Inspector Glenn Blain said.
“We could reduce the number of steal from motor vehicle incidents by 50 per cent if people locked their cars.”
“And if people were not leaving valuable property inside, it would further reduce the incidence.”
According to the latest crime statistics released Wednesday, the rate of theft from vehicles has gone down 34.8 per cent in the year to June 2018.
However Maitland still recorded 539 theft from vehicle offences in the year to June 2018 – almost 1.5 each day.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
