Cars being stolen on your doorstep
A BURNT-OUT car dumped at the corner of Eel Creek and Douglas Rds was being investigated by police yesterday.
The Holden Commodore was discovered to have been stolen from a Gympie home at the weekend.
Car thefts and break-ins have increased in Gympie as these crimes continue to surge across the state, according to latest research by RACQ Insurance.
Queensland Police Service annual statistical review showed a 7% increase in car thefts and a 14% increase in the number of the reported thefts of items from vehicles in the year up to 2011. The most common location for vehicle theft and vehicle break-ins is now in the owner's driveway.
RACQ Insurance research illustrates that 12% of Queenslanders had a vehicle stolen within the last five years. Almost a quarter (22%) of the state's motorists had their car stolen from their driveways, 18% had their car stolen while it was parked on the street and 5% from the home garage.
A quarter of Queensland motorists have been the victim of a car break-in within the past five years and the home driveway was identified as the most common location.
Officer in charge of Gympie District traffic branch, Sergeant Peter Webster said residents needed to ensure car keys were always secured while at home and treated with the same level of security as when dealing with cash. He said drivers needed to take a number of steps to reduce the chances of their car being targeted by thieves.
