Thieves are increasingly smashing car windows around Geelong to steal items inside, police have warned.
And the city’s train station car parks were the “hot spots” of the 46 per cent increase in the offense over the past nine weeks, police said.
Police identified Geelong, Geelong West, Waurn Ponds, Marshall and Highton as the worst suburbs for smashed-window thefts.
Despite two of the suburbs going without rail services 50 per cent of the incidents were recorded in train station car parks, police said.
The offenders were smashing passenger-side windows to steal “easily hidden items”.
Police identified “small personal items” including cash, cards and bag as the main targets.
Fridays and Saturdays were the worst nights for the thefts.
Police indicated that an operation was underway to crack down on the thefts.
“An increase in police patrols in and around railway station car parks has begun,” the force posted on social media this week.
The post urged motorists to take precautions.
“Remember, theft from motor vehicle is an opportunistic-type offence,” police said.
“You need to, one, lock your motor vehicle but also, two, remove all items of value from the vehicle. Both need to be done so you don’t become a victim of this offence.”
Police revealed the spike in window-smash thefts from vehicles after posting an image of a male wanted for questioning over a theft from a car in parking area on 13 October.
Police asked anyone who could identify him to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333000, quoting reference number 180374076.
