Napier now one of New Zealand's car theft capitals

One in every 135 cars was broken into in Napier in 2019, according to new data. Photo / File

Napier has been named one of the car theft hot spots of New Zealand - with one in every 135 cars in the city thieved from or stolen in 2019.

It now ranks fourth amongst 66 regions in NZ for its car theft rate (0.74 per cent) in 2019, behind only Lower Hutt (1.02 per cent), Palmerston North (0.98 per cent) and Wellington (0.82 per cent), according to police data collated by global comparison website Finder.

The extent of what one of Hawke's Bay's top cops says is an "increasing issue" for the city is laid bare by a comparison with Hastings, where a comparatively minor one in every 264 cars was thieved from or stolen in 2019.

And in Central Hawke's Bay, cars are mostly left untouched by criminals, with just one in every 1497 cars hit last year - one of the safest districts in NZ.

Across New Zealand, 24,416 motor vehicles were stolen or broken into in 2019, up from 21,761 the previous year - an increase of 2655 cars.

Hawke's Bay police area manager Inspector Martin James said having your car stolen can cause "huge disruption in people's lives", but a number of measures can be taken to protect yourself.

"Car theft has been an increasing issue in the Napier region and as such, we are encouraging car owners to take extra precautions with their vehicles," he said.

"Vehicle theft is often a crime of opportunity, so the more effort you put in to reduce those opportunities, the less likely you are to be targeted."

James said people should always lock their vehicle door and park in in well-lit areas where possible.

"You can also buy a steering wheel lock, which is relatively low-cost device that makes your car harder for offenders to take," he said.

"If you are willing to invest a bit more money you could also install a car immobiliser. Many modern cars have one of these fitted already. And make sure you take any valuables with you any time you leave your vehicle."

According to the data, car break-ins typically happen on weekends, with the most common time being 3pm.

James said Hawke's Bay had seen a "significant number" of tradie vehicles being broken into for tools in recent months.

"While it would be impossible for most tradies to remove items from their vehicles every time they leave them, there are other precautions they can take such as installing a car alarm," he said.

"If you regularly park your work vehicle at home, you could install a camera – this will deter many offenders, and if they aren't deterred then police will have more information available when it comes time to hold them to account."