With numberplate theft at record highs, Victoria Police is urging people to fit anti-theft screws to their vehicles.
Keilor Downs Police Acting Sergeant Sam Romano said installing a simple measure such as an anti-theft screw can be the difference between having your numberplate stolen or not.
Across the state, numberplate thefts have surged by 50 per cent to the highest number recorded in the state, with 29,790 recorded over the last year, equivalent to 83 a day or one every 17 minutes, according to police.
According to data released by the Crime Statistics Agency, Brimbank, Hume and Wyndham are included in the top five areas in the state for numberplate thefts over the year ending March, recording 1414, 1966 and 1449 incidents respectively.
“Number plate theft is often at the centre of more serious offending,” Acting Sergeant Sam Romano said.
Stolen numberplates are often used by offenders to hide the identity of a vehicle when committing other crimes such as burglaries, ram raids, petrol drive offs and to evade police, police said.
“We have more capabilities than ever to detect stolen numberplates on our roads, so we’d strongly encourage those thinking of using them to hide their vehicle to think again,” Acting Sergeant Sam Romano said.
Police are urging vehicle owners to install anti-theft screws, which are available from hardware stores, automotive parts stores and petrol stations.
Police are also urging the community to blur number plate details when advertising vehicles online, or when sharing photos on social media to avoid the likelihood of a vehicle’s numberplate being cloned.
Anyone who has been the victim of a number plate theft or suspected cloning activity is urged to contact the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.
