Police say vehicle theft in Hawke's Bay has increased over last few months

More vehicles are being stolen than normal in Hawke's Bay over December and January, and most that are recovered return to owners damaged or destroyed. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay people are being warned to lock their car doors as vehicle theft in Hawke's Bay has increased over the last few months, according to Eastern District police.

Police data shows that there were 80 reports of vehicle theft or joyriding in Hawke's Bay from December 13 to January 14.

The stolen vehicles include six Nissan Tiidas, six Mazda Atenzas and four Mazda Demio.

Hawke's Bay Area Prevention Manager Inspector Marty James said those models are frequently a target of car thieves, and owners should take extra precautions.

"Typically, these vehicles are targeted as they don't have immobilisers and/or alarms, which makes them susceptible."

He said most of the stolen vehicles were in a damaged state if recovered.

The police are asking anyone witnessing suspicious behaviour around vehicles or anyone who has information about who is committing these crimes to contact them.

Police advise vehicle owners to use prevention measures such as car alarms or steering wheel locks and sensor lighting or CCTV for vehicles not parked inside a garage.

People are also advised not to leave valuables inside their vehicles, and to park susceptible models behind newer vehicles to prevent them being removed.

Eastern District Police statistics show that from the start of April to the end of September in 2021, Toyotas (27) was the most popular make of vehicle stolen, followed by Mazda (23). Holden Commodores (8) were the most common cars stolen at the time.

Napier has one of the highest rates of car theft nationwide, ranking fifth in the country in 2020. In 2020, 0.62 per cent of cars in Napier were stolen.