Victoria Stone-Meadows

A recent spate of break-ins in Port Douglas and break-ins to cars across Queensland has prompted calls from police for people to take extra precautions with their possessions.

Port Douglas Police Sergeant, Damien Meadows, said people in regional towns must take these kinds of crime into account as more people look for targets outside cities and major centres. 

“We are conducting extra patrols to detect a deter offences but we all need to be on the front foot and improve home security. Don’t make us a soft target,” he said.

“The people committing these offences are not local, the offence on Ulysses Avenue and Trinity Beach a few weeks ago have been located, and they were from Mareeba.

“The majority of people in the Douglas Shire are law abiding people but we need to not make ourselves soft and be mindful of home and vehicle security.” 

Queensland Police are also encouraging vehicle owners to employ measures such as installing GPS tracking devices on their cars.

A total of 16,322 cars, motorcycles and trucks were reported stolen across Queensland last financial year (2018 / 2019), up from 14,133 in the previous financial year (2017 / 2018).

QPS Acting Senior Sergeant, Lee Fortune, said in the majority of cases, homes and businesses are targeted where thieves easily track down keys before stealing vehicles from garages and driveways.

“Police are continuing to see vehicles being stolen either opportunistically where the vehicle is left unsecured or through burglaries where keys are quickly located,” Acting Senior Sergeant Fortune said.

“We are encouraging vehicle owners to take a moment to think about their current security measures and whether they could be improved to reduce the risk of having their vehicle stolen.

“This could be as simple as keeping your keys in a hidden location within your home rather than in plain sight and ensuring your vehicle, home and business is secured at all times.”

Top 5 strategies to protect your vehicle:

1. Always keep your vehicle locked and secured – even if you are only leaving it for a moment.
2. Keep the keys to your vehicle in a hidden location – not on the kitchen bench or a key rack.
3. Remove all valuables from the vehicle
4. Consider installing a steering wheel lock, car alarm or immobiliser
5. Consider installing a GPS tracking device with live monitoring