Police hope a new online stolen vehicle reporting tool will assist in recovering stolen cars sooner. The new reporting tool is live on the Victoria Police website, requiring users to enter the car’s registration, make and model giving users the ability to check if it has been listed as stolen and report its location to police. It’s refreshed every time a report of a stolen vehicle is added to each database and once a stolen vehicle is recovered by police it is removed from the system. Victoria Police data shows police have recovered around 80 per cent of cars stolen in the past year and one in three cars stolen in Victoria were parked on residential streets. Detective Inspector Julie Macdonald said while the majority of stolen vehicles are recovered, it takes police working with the community together to stop thefts happening in the first place. “A quick dash to the shops without locking your car is sometimes all it takes for thieves to seize an opportunity,” she said. “Where possible we encourage people to park their vehicle off the street and in a garage if they have one available. “Anti-theft devices such as a steering wheel lock and OBD port lock also help deter would-be thieves.” Victoria Police intelligence shows a majority of stolen cars are popular makes and models with push start ignitions. Thieves use key-mimicking and cloning technology to override car security systems. Police implore the community to take simple measures to prevent their car being stolen such as installing an on-board diagnostic port lock which prevent offenders connecting a reprogramming device to their vehicle. Vehicles should always be locked, even if parked at home, and never left running when unattended. The online stolen vehicle tool can be found at police.vic.gov.au/stolen-vehicle-check-victoria. The tool has already been used online by around 8000 users since the initial soft launch two weeks ago.
