Leading Senior Constable Mark Zerafa and Senior Constable Sammy Stevens have teamed up with council to reduce car thefts in Brimbank as part of the CarWatch awareness campaign. 88518 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By VANESSA VALENZUELA
A NEW campaign to reduce car theft in Brimbank went up a gear last week.
Vehicle theft awareness campaign ‘CarWatch’ will use a number of safety messages to help reduce thefts and increase the perception of safety in Brimbank.
Despite a decrease in reported thefts, the number of car thefts in Brimbank is still high with council figures showing there were more than 1000 vehicle thefts across the municipality in the past year.
RACV insurance claim data released earlier this year revealed Melbourne’s West recorded the highest number of car theft claims in 2011 with St Albans, Taylors Lakes, Laverton, Sydenham and Sunshine identified as hot spots for theft.
General Manager of Community Wellbeing Neil Whiteside said the intensive two-week CarWatch campaign would help reduce the number of car thefts recorded in Brimbank.
“The aim of the CarWatch campaign is to raise awareness and provide education to residents about car safety and how they can be more aware of protecting their valuables to prevent car theft,” Mr Whiteside said.
“The program also specifically targets owners of cars that have been identified as more vulnerable to theft, and there are actions in place to alert the car owner to this.”
Senior Sergeant Wayne Moed said Victoria Police would assist council in promoting the message of vehicle security and engage with commuters who use the Watergardens Train Station car park.
“Theft of and from vehicles is one of our focuses at the moment. We believe that by drivers taking some simple precautions they can reduce the risk of their vehicle being broken into,” Sen Sgt Moed said.
He said it is important for residents to think about how and where they will leave their car parked and keep a look out for suspicious activity to reduce the risk of theft for everyone.
“We appreciate the good work that Brimbank Council, Metro trains, CarSafe and Watergardens Town Centre undertake to reduce the incidence of theft around car parks and railway stations,” Sen Sgt Moed said.
“A partnership approach such as this will always provide a better end result for the community and crime reduction.”
