MELBOURNE, VIC. — Almost half of all number plates stolen in Victoria are from cars parked on residential streets, with Dandenong, Preston, Reservoir, St Albans and Craigieburn the hardest hit.
New Crime Statistics Agency data shows that of the 32,614 number plate theft offences in the year to March, 14,431 were taken from cars parked on residential streets.
Dandenong was the most impacted suburb for street number plate theft with 310 offences, followed by Preston (213), Reservoir (197), St Albans (170) and Craigieburn (170).
Police are working tirelessly to crack down on the crime and make arrests, carrying out proactive patrols in local hotspots.
The local hotspots where police see the crime most often occur include:
- Windale street, Langhorne street, Bennet street and David street in Dandenong;
- Bell street, Patterson street, High street, Gower street and David street in Preston;
- North road, Barry street and Rathcown road in Reservoir;
- Main Road, Thorndon drive and William street in St Albans; and
- Yellowbox drive and Lawn court in Craigieburn.
Police know number plates are the most common item to be stolen from cars and are often at the centre of more serious offending.
Police regularly see offenders use stolen number plates to hide the identity of a vehicle when committing other crimes such as burglaries, ram raids, petrol drive-offs and to evade police.
To avoid falling victim to numberplate theft, police are urging the community to park their vehicle off the street and in a garage if possible.
Owners can fit anti-theft screws to their number plates on their vehicles, which can be purchased from hardware stores, automotive parts stores and petrol stations.
The screws are an easy way to deter thieves as they are extremely difficult to remove. Even if an offender manages to get them off it often damages the numberplate and renders it unusable.
It’s important for the community to always ensure their vehicle is locked, even when at home.
Police are regularly seizing stolen numberplates, particularly during operations using Automatic Numberplate Recognition Technology.
ANPR technology allows police to rapidly scan vehicles and immediately identify any cars bearing false or stolen numberplates.
Police also run Safe Plate Day events across the state where the community can attend and receive a free anti-theft screw fitted to their vehicle.
Upcoming Safe Plate Day events can be found by visiting Safe Plate events – Neighbourhood Watch Victoria or by following your local police Eyewatch Facebook page.
Anyone who has been the victim of a number plate theft is urged to contact the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
Registration plates have been issued in Victoria since 1910.
Victorian registration plates are manufactured at Hopkins Correctional Centre (prison) in Ararat, Victoria, by inmates.
