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There’s mostly good but also some bad news when it comes to efforts to reduce vehicle crime across east Auckland.
Police have seen a 34 per cent reduction in the theft of vehicles from the area in January this year compared to the previous month.
Unfortunately, they also saw an 11 per cent increase in the number of thefts from vehicles.
Counties Manukau East Police community services manager, senior sergeant Anson Lin, revealed the figures to members of the police’s Community Partners group at the Ormiston police station on February 4.
The group’s meetings are a chance for local organisations working in the field of crime-prevention to network and share information.
Lin says the number of vehicles stolen in east Auckland in August and September last year was similar but then dropped toward the end of the year.
“I would say we did a really good job in the last three or four months, in January particularly.
“In December it went up by comparison, but in the summertime we expect that some crimes will go up.
“We’re doing quite well in that space. In terms of clusters, we’ve still got a lot to do in the Flat Bush area even though we’ve got a good reduction in the numbers, but the concentration is still around that area.
“So that is something we can carry on working through in the New Year and see if there are other ways we can deploy and other prevention activities we can do.”
The recent reduction in vehicle thefts follows a 40 per cent fall in such crimes in October last year compared to the previous month, as well as a 51 per cent fall in thefts from vehicles.
A key factor in the positive numbers is work police carried out as part of Operation Flat Bush in the second half of 2024.
It saw increased police patrols in the suburb and a targeted crackdown on vehicle crime and burglaries with assistance from the Botany Crime Watch Patrol, the Asian Council on Reducing Crime and the Howick Local Board.
Police maintained a high visibility in key hotspots, including the main roads in Flat Bush, with a strong focus on repeat victims.
There’s also recent good news for residents living in Beachlands and Maraetai, as Lin says those communities had no reported vehicle thefts in January.
He previously told the Times the five most commonly stolen vehicles are Toyota Aqua, Nissan Tida, Toyota Corolla, Mazda Demio, and Toyota Vitz.
Police recommend that where possible motorists park their vehicle in well‐lit and busy locations and ensure all valuables are removed from it, or out of sight.
Buying and using a steering wheel lock is also useful.
People who see suspicious behaviour should phone 111 immediately.
Report information online via https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 using ‘Update Report’, or by phone 105.
Alternatively, report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
