TOP STORY: City's six car theft hotspots revealed

By Joel Ford
Latest police figures reveal the top car theft "hotspots" in the Western Bay and also show the type of vehicle that criminals are most likely to steal.
Cameron Rd in Tauranga along with the Avenues, Arataki, Papamoa Beach Rd, The Strand and Welcome Bay have all been identified as frequent car theft areas by the police, with Toyota Corollas the most commonly stolen vehicle in the Bay.
And while there was a drop in the number of cars stolen in the region in the past year - from 688 in 2005 to 497 in 2006 - police say up to a staggering 30 per cent of stolen vehicles had been left unlocked when they were taken and that many had the keys inside.
Sergeant Rob Glencross of Tauranga police said the six hotspots were all busy residential or commercial areas where cars were left unattended for long periods.
"The areas that get hit the hardest are the areas where there is the most opportunity.
"With the Avenues it's because you have a lot of cars parked overnight and a lot of cars left on the road," Mr Glencross said.
Police say residential areas are often targeted at night.
However, most of the offending in commercial areas is committed during daylight hours.
The fact that the Toyota Corolla was the most commonly stolen vehicle was a reflection of the high number of this type of vehicle on the road, Mr Glencross said.
"They are also often the cars most commonly used by younger people who don't have a lot of money for additional security," Mr Glencross added.
The second most stolen car was the Mazda Familia/Ford Laser, followed by the Nissan Primera, Subaru Legacy and Mitsubishi Galant.
"Many of the unlocked cars that are stolen are either parked in driveways where people assume the car is safe, or outside shops while the owner ducks in to make a quick purchase."
Mr Glencross said a variety of things could happen to a car after it had been stolen.
"Some of the vehicles stolen will be stripped for parts, some will be re-identified and sold on and some will simply be dumped in locations where they are unlikely to be found."
Mr Glencross added that most stolen vehicles were taken because the thief just needed a ride home and did not have the money to take a taxi.
"The pattern of the recoveries suggests that many of the vehicles are stolen simply for joy-riding or as a means of getting from point A to point B," he said.
Between 25 and 30 per cent of vehicles stolen in the Western Bay are never recovered and the demographic of offenders varies from one area to another, Mr Glencross said.
Although it is the more expensive option, a car alarm or immobiliser can save car owners money when it comes to paying for insurance.
Alayna Dagger of New Zealand Insurance said her company did not charge higher premiums for insurance on more commonly stolen vehicles.
However, if the vehicle was considered a high risk then the customer was encouraged to install additional security measures.
In some cases, where a vehicle was an extremely high risk, the customer would be required to install additional security measures before insurance cover is provided, Ms Dagger said.
Vehicles classed as high theft risks are usually imported, turbocharged vehicles or V8s.
Greg Ward, manager of Tauranga-based car security specialists Trendz, said thieves were aware of the top security brands such as Mongoose or Dynatron and often they chose not to bother with a car with such a system.
"If there are four or five cars in row in a carpark, the ones that are going to get broken into are the ones without car alarms," he said.