Lock it – key to beat theft

WE often have ourselves to blame for crime. We make it too easy for criminals to steal from us.

We leave car doors, front doors, garage doors and windows unlocked.

We might as well put up a sign outside welcoming opportunistic thieves to help themselves, and, of course, they do.

Our main story today portrays a city that is too ambivalent about crime.

In the past year there has been almost a 60 per cent jump in the number of vehicles parked in town which are either entered by intruders or had items stolen from them.

Put simply many of the thefts have occurred from unlocked vehicles.

Shopping centres such as Cairns Central are proving rich pickings for would-be thieves who trawl carparks looking for unlocked vehicles.

Surprisingly, stealing from cars in Bayview Heights has jumped 172 per cent, while Woree has seen considerable jumps in break-ins to cars, while more vehicles have been targeted by thieves in Kewarra Beach.

It’s clear no suburb is immune to crime with Woree and Edmonton being the hardest hit by car thieves.

At the same time offenders use stolen vehicles to travel throughout the city and further afield committing further offences such as home break-ins.

They don’t keep to any area and are often looking for more high-end vehicles to steal so there are no safe suburbs.

The message is clear. Lock up. Hide car keys in less obvious places if you don’t have a safe.

No neighbourhood is safe from thieves on the prowl.

Let’s make it harder for them.