Covid-19 lockdown keeps lid on most car thieves
Despite the massive Jucy Rentals heist, April thefts were just 28% of previous year
It would appear even car thieves have some morals with many choosing to follow the rules and stay home during the lockdown period. New police data reveals the number of cars stolen and still not recovered during level 4 took a dramatic dive, dropping to 433 compared with 626 during the same time last year.
The actual number of car thefts was higher when recovered cars are taken into account but police could not release that information straight away.
New Zealand went into complete lockdown on March 25. During that time people were only allowed out of their bubbles for exercise or if they were an essential worker or popping down the road for essentials like groceries or a trip to the chemist.
As a result fewer people were out stealing cars.
On April 27 we moved into level 3 which allowed a little bit more freedom — so the thieves were back to old habits with 304 cars stolen and still not recovered compared to 317 during the same period last year.
AA Insurance head of claims Simon Hobbs said those figures were matched by the number of theftrelated motor vehicle claims.
“March claims statistics showed a comparable number of thefts to those in March 2019. However, in April we saw 28 per cent of last year’s claims during the same time last year. Although by May, we saw an increase in numbers, which reached 43 per cent of last year’s volume,” he told the Herald.
“As we move through the different levels of lockdown, we’re seeing a shift towards higher levels of claims as more people are out and about. We’d expect this to return to more typical claim behaviour, as the number of car thefts increase.”
Throughout lockdown police increased their presence on the streets and were quick to talk to anyone caught flouting the rules, with more than 5857 breaches during level 4 — nearly a fifth of which were in Counties Manukau.
While many breaches were simply breaking social distancing and hygiene regulations, some of the culprits were out stealing cars.
During Anzac weekend thieves hit Jucy rentals. They cut a hole in security fencing and stole 99 cars, 90 of which have since been recovered.
Police say they were tipped off to the large-scale theft after multiple, suspicious vehicles failed to stop for officers. Twenty-two people have been charged as a result.
Jucy Rentals chief executive Tim Alpe said CCTV and barbed wiring fencing were no deterrent for the thieves, who shouldn’t have been out in the first place.
“We were in full lockdown so it was a very big shock to us given everyone was meant to be at home and off the roads.
“It was a . . . really disappointing and something we didn’t need as a tourism business already going through a tough time because the borders were closed.
“It was a pretty horrific time for us but on a positive note we have recovered the majority of the vehicles, the police did a great job.”
A police spokeswoman said the number of vehicles reported stolen during the level 4 restrictions dropped significantly throughout the country, even in Counties Manukau where the Jucy thefts occurred.
“It is important to note despite this incident, vehicle thefts were still significantly lower than normal for the district.”
As traffic increases in level 2 police encourage drivers to ensure vehicles are locked and valuables hidden.
We were in full lockdown so it was a very big shock to us. Tim Alpe, Jucy Rentals