Police go undercover to catch car raiders

In most cases, the thieves smashed the window and grabbed whatever was visible in the car: laptops, phones, bags and anything else that they could sell quickly. Photo / Thinkstock

Police are going undercover and may start using a bait car in a bid to catch thieves who have been breaking into vehicles on the North Shore.

Thefts from cars have spiked by about 50 per cent in recent weeks and police are cracking down to prevent more people becoming victims.

North Shore prevention manager Acting Inspector Trevor Beggs said it was unclear why car crime had spiked so sharply. Local offenders and a group coming from another part of Auckland were believed to be targeting the district.

Police were considering using a bait car to attract the thieves. Mr Beggs said this was one of a number of possible tactics and was still in the planning stage.

"Using current intelligence, we would select a location that is running red hot for car crime," he explained.

"We would deploy a team to monitor a 'bait car' that may have a bag on show in the main cabin area. We would use covert surveillance to monitor the vehicle and the immediate area."

Mr Beggs stressed that the bait car would be more about prevention and aimed at "proactive engagement with potential offenders".

"Police wish to intervene before crime is committed, and be the fence at the top of the cliff rather than ambulance at the bottom.

"The best way for police to serve our community is to prevent crime, deter offending and attempt to positively redirect offenders."

It would be one of the first times a bait car was used by police in an anti-theft operation, Mr Beggs said.

"We will turn this around. Thieves have to be lucky every time they smash into a car. We only have to be lucky once and we've got them."

The main hot spots were small shopping and dining areas in Northcote, Birkenhead, Albany and Browns Bay.

"It's happening a lot in little areas where we have smaller bars and restaurants. People will pull in and park in the evening and go in somewhere for dinner. They come back and their car is broken into," Mr Beggs said.

In most cases, the thieves smashed the window and grabbed whatever was visible in the car: laptops, phones, bags and anything else that they could sell quickly.

Mr Beggs said police were doing a number of things to catch the thieves.

"We are targeting known offenders, keeping our local guys locked down with bail checks and spot checks. We are also targeting known receivers of stolen goods - people or businesses we know receive stolen property."

Undercover officers were also being deployed to "strategic" locations at peak times for car break-ins.

"We are also working with local businesses who are providing access to CCTV cameras so we can identify and track offenders."

Mr Beggs said anyone who noticed anyone behaving suspiciously should call 111 immediately. Police were ready to respond quickly to any calls that could lead them to the offenders.

He urged people to be vigilant when leaving their cars parked and ensure no valuables were visible.

Safety tips
*Always lock your car when it is parked, even in your own driveway.
*Don't leave any valuables in sight. Thieves will take anything they can see, including gym gear or empty bags.
*If you do need to leave property in your car, secure it in the boot or under a seat - anywhere out of sight.