A 34-year-old Corio man was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing more than $70,000 of power tools from cars and construction sites.
Detectives from the Geelong Divisional Response Unit arrested bed at the man’s house where he unsuccessfully tried to flee over his backyard fence.
Police will allege the man stole a range of equipment, including Jackhammers, drills, and construction tools from mid-July from worksites and vehicles across North Geelong.
During the search of his property, police located around $52,000 worth of stolen tools, with the remainder of missing tools believed to have been on-sold.
The man had an outstanding warrant of imprisonment for previous unrelated offending and is now serving a six-month term of imprisonment. He will face Geelong Magistrates later this year in relation to the tool thefts, after being charged with burglary, theft, possess prohibited weapon and handle stolen goods.
“Tool theft is on the rise across the state, with opportunistic thieves scoping out unlocked vehicles and job sites,” acting detective sergeant Mat Evans said.
“Having your tools stolen is not just annoying, but it often comes with a substantial financial hit with expensive equipment needing to be replaced and upcoming jobs cancelled.”
“Engraving tools is critical for investigators in identifying owners and making it harder for on selling.”
Most of the recovered tools have been identified and returned to their owners, however police are still trying to identify the owner of an outstanding generator and a couple of tool bags.
If anyone recently has these items recently stolen, contact Detective Senior Constable Wayne Glover at Geelong Divisional Response Unit by contacting Geelong Police Station on 5225 3100.
The majority of these are stolen from the back of work vans and utes, with offenders targeting unlocked vehicles. Tools left on job sites are also another target for thieves.
Police encourage tradies to:
Engrave all items with identifiable features preferably drivers licence number
If possible, remove tools from ute trays and the back of work vans. Store them in your shed overnight.
If tools are left in your vehicle, lock all doors, external toolboxes, and windows. Also try to hide any tools from sight.
Park in a garage or well-lit and secure area if possible.
Remove tools from worksites once done for the day and store in a secure place.
