Christchurch Area Community Services Manager Senior Sergeant 
Ian Appley:

Police are aware of a slight increase in thefts from vehicles occurring in 
the Christchurch area recently.

Police are working hard to monitor areas that have been affected by this 
offending by increasing Police presence and working with community patrols.

However, Police cannot be everywhere at once and it is important that people 
put prevention measures in place to deter opportunistic thieves.

Senior Sergeant Ian Appley says “we see the same mistakes time and time 
again. People leave valuables in their car or leave their vehicle unlocked 
which gives offenders ample opportunity to take their belongings.

Prevention is key in this space. A helpful motto to use is ‘Lock or lose 
it, conceal it or remove it.’”

Anyone that sees suspicious activity around vehicles can call Police on 111 
if it happening or 105 after the fact.

It is important that every incident of theft from cars is reported to Police 
so that Police can appropriate resources effectively and aim to prevent more 
in the future.

Supplying video footage of the incident is also helpful to Police after the 
offence has taken place.

If Police can identify the person in that footage, Police will investigate 
and hold that offender to account.

In some cases, identification of the individual responsible is not always 
possible. This is where prevention becomes key in such situations.

Senior Sergeant Appley’s top tips for preventing theft from your vehicle 
include:

1. Invest in a steering wheel lock to show thieves that you have security in 
place and make them less likely to target your vehicle.
2. Put a prevention sticker on your windows or flashing LEDs on the 
dashboard.
3. Always lock your car, even when you are parked in your own driveway.
4. Avoid leaving valuables like CDs, laptops, mobile phones, GPS devices and 
iPods in your car. If you have to leave them there, make sure they are out of 
sight.
5. Try to park in well-lit areas if you park your car on the street 
overnight.
6. Joining a neighbourhood support group can be beneficial to deterring theft 
as more people in your neighbourhood can keep and eye out for suspicious 
activity.
 

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