Wreckers targeted

THIEVES are pushing wrecking businesses to breaking point, pulling off organised heists and taking off with thousands of dollars in parts.

Partington 4WD Wreckers on Ingham Rd has been broken into about 20 times this year with more than $ 30,000 worth of parts stolen.

Owner Michael Abraham said the Garbutt industrial area was “under siege” by thieves and more police patrols were needed to deter them.

“This last four weeks we’ve had five times that they’ve cut the fence and come into the yard and taken goods,” he said. “Out here the Garbutt industrial area is virtually abandoned at night by the police service.

“The police force perhaps funding for more active patrols.”

Tyres, wheels, winches, doors, engine parts and radios have been stolen.

Security alarms can be heard going off in the area on a nightly basis and the regular thefts are putting a financial strain on businesses.

Northern Region Assistant Commissioner Paul Taylor said they would be visiting businesses this week to discuss solutions and increasing the police presence in the area.

Out here the

Garbutt industrial area is virtually abandoned at night by the police

service

MICHAEL ABRAHAM

need

“We are aware of a spate of break and enters in that area,” he said. “People are preying on people who own businesses in our community and for some of them already doing it tough, the last thing they need is someone breaking in and reducing their profits.

“We will work with them to take reasonable steps so they can secure their businesses and we’ll make sure we match that by patrolling and trying to prevent those types of things occurring.”

Business owners have increased their security and installed more cameras but it has done little. Mr Abraham said not even eight cameras had stopped the break- ins.

“The other night the amount of gear they took, they would have had to have been here three to four hours,” he said.