THERE were 32 thefts from cars reported to Albury police in first 11 days of the month.
There were seven thefts from cars overnight on Wednesday at Lavington, many of them from unlocked cars.
Inspector Matt Tishler, of Albury, said while he couldn’t compare the number to other months, police had noticed a spike in that type of crime this month.
“It has come under notice by us,” he said.
“It’s hard to say why it’s happening.
“There could be myriad reasons — it could be because of school holidays, more people in the area or someone being released from jail.
“It could be a new person coming to the community — one person can cause a great deal of damage as evidenced from last night.”
Insp Tishler said police were again finding themselves repeating the message that people must lock their cars, as many of the thefts were from unlocked cars.
“It’s frustrating for us in terms of crime rates and the perception in the community that it’s a problem,” he said.
“But it’s worse for people who lose belongings.
“The fact is, if people took more care, many of these crimes would not be committed.
“Complacency and forgetfulness could be to blame.
“People need to secure their valuables, take them with them, put them in the boot, and lock their cars.”
Insp Tishler said that aside from these thefts from cars, police had encountered several cases of delivery drivers leaving their keys in the vehicle with the motor running.
“Surprise, surprise, when they come back they find their vehicle has gone,” he said.
