Police say Port Phillip is a hotspot for car break-ins in Melbourne, but there’s something simple vehicle owners can do to help mitigate this: lock their doors.
According to Victoria Police, 65 per cent of cars targeted by thieves over the past three months across Port Phillip were unlocked.
In the twelve months to March 2024, there were 2148 reports of cars being broken into and having items stolen. This included 468 break-ins in Port Melbourne, 412 in St Kilda, and 410 in South Melbourne.
Over the same timeframe, just eight per cent of vehicles had their windows smashed in order for thieves to gain entry.
The most common items stolen from cars included wallets, loose cash, clothing and sunglasses, often left in plain sight.
Victoria Police shared some examples of opportunistic thieves it has caught in the act.
For example, on July 26, police on patrol along Acland Street, St Kilda saw a 41-year-old woman allegedly open the boot of a Toyota RAV4 and remove a shopping bag.
The RAV4 owner was actually in their car at the time and exited it, taking his bag back.
The woman was then seen walking down Acland Street, before attempting to open the door of a Hyundai i40. Police arrested her at the scene, and she was allegedly in possession of the keys to a Range Rover that had been stolen from Armadale the day before.
The woman, from Glen Iris, was charged with theft, attempted theft, and handling stolen goods.
On June 15, a man was allegedly seen in the same area twice in two days, and was confronted by residents for rummaging through a Subaru WRX. Police later caught up with him and another man inside a Ford Territory, which allegedly held a “large amount” of suspected stolen power tools.
The men, from Braybrook and Taylors Lakes, were arrested and charged for offences including attempted vehicle theft, tampering with a vehicle, receiving stolen goods.
While Port Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne topped the charts in the City of Port Phillip when it came to car break-ins in the 12 months to March 2024, other suburbs had considerably fewer reports of theft.
Just 158 car break-ins were reported during this period in St Kilda East, for example, while 180 were recorded in Albert Park and 195 in Elwood – all less than half the numbers of the top three suburbs for car break-ins.
Victoria Police says the numbers for Balaclava, St Kilda West and Ripponlea were even lower.
“Police intelligence indicates most offenders who steal from cars are not from this area, with a small percentage of the community feeling entitled to take what isn’t theirs,” said Port Phillip Local Area Commander Inspector Brett Coloe.
“St Kilda alone has approximately four million visitors each year. It’s an area with very high foot traffic, and not all residents have the luxury of secure garages to park their cars.
“We know that most vehicles targeted are unlocked. It’s as simple as pressing a button on your keys; it’s a no-brainer way to avoid falling victim.
“We suggest the best way to keep your vehicle safe is by locking it and removing all valuables from inside.
“Don’t give opportunistic thieves any reason to go through your car, like an open door to take advantage of.”
Port Phillip isn’t the only part of the greater Melbourne area where opportunistic thieves are entering unlocked vehicles.
Victoria Police warned residents of the Wyndham region in Melbourne’s south-west earlier this year to lock their doors, confirming 63 per cent of vehicles broken into during a one-month period were unlocked.
Vehicle and contents thefts have recently spiked in Victoria.
More than 21,400 vehicle thefts, or attempted thefts, were recorded in the 12 months to March 2024 according to Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency.
That represents an increase of almost 4000, or 22 per cent, on the previous 12-month period.
Thefts of items from inside vehicles were also up by 18.6 per cent to 59,000.
