THREE cars are being stolen in Albury on average each week, with new statistics painting a picture of where the vehicles are being targeted.
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NSW crime data released this week shows an increase in both vehicle thefts and the thefts of items left in cars.
A map of hotspots shows central Albury, Fallon Street in an area near James Fallon High, and an area near the Borella Road shops, near Eastern Circuit, are a key target for car thieves.
The Five Ways, McDonald Road near Wagga Road, Kaitlers Road near Prune Street and Webb Street, and Kurrajong Crescent and Gould Avenue in West Albury, are also popular with thieves.
Detective Inspector Winston Woodward said there had been 26 cars stolen in the first two months of this year.
“Seven out of 10 targeted cars are unlocked and basically, it’s just an opportunistic crime,” he said.
“There are thieves out there in the community who are going to steal your property, they will steal from your motor vehicle, any chance they get.”
Detective Inspector Woodward said serious crime was steady or declining in the region, but high-volume offences were causing the biggest problems.
“Stealing from motor vehicles and stolen motor vehicles are causing the most grief,” he said.
NSW crime data released this week shows 152 cars were stolen in the Albury region last year, a 42 per cent increase since 2016.
Thefts of items from inside cars also increased from 554 in 2016 to 622 in 2017.
In the same time period, 77 cars were stolen in Wodonga with 196 thefts from cars.
Thefts from cars is more widespread in Albury, with a stretch along Mate Street and Wagga Road, and central Albury, of particular concern.
“Lock your cars, lock your houses and ensure they're always secure,” Detective Inspector Woodward said.
“There are thieves out there who will take any opportunity to steal your property.
“We’re working hard to get them before the courts.”
He said fraud offences – which often involved people being ripped off by online scams – was also of great concern to police.
There were 361 fraud offences in Albury last year.
Detective Inspector Woodward said the scams were often run from overseas where local police did not have jurisdiction.
