NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Wellingtonians warn of spike in car crime in central city

By Jack Crossland, ZB reporter
NZ Herald·
21 Jan, 2021 07:52 PM6 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

At least 10 people have taken to social media to report instances of car crime in Wellingtion. Photo / 123rf

At least 10 people have taken to social media to report instances of car crime in Wellingtion. Photo / 123rf

Wellingtonians are warning of a spike in car crime in the central city, but police say they've seen no increase.

At least 10 people have taken to social media over the past couple of weeks, warning others about their car windows being smashed, valuables being stolen and attempts made to hot wire and steal their vehicle.

Many believe the incidents are connected with the break-ins being centred around Tasman St, the Basin Reserve and the Wilson carpark on Willis St.

Beau Rebel was moving from Central Otago to Auckland with all of his belongings when he stopped for the night at the Marksman Motor Inn near the Basin Reserve.

He woke on January 7 to find someone had smashed his car window and stolen countless items.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I didn't hear back from police for about three or four days so I followed up, and by that time someone had found one of my bags in the Wellington High School field, and someone else had found our passports in the Wilson carpark on Willis Street."

Rebel asked police to obtain the footage recorded at the Willis St carpark, but was told the footage was long gone.

"Eight days later I got a call from a police officer who told me all the CCTV footage had been erased."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He said they only hold it for about eight days, and they never got round to it."

Beau Rebel was moving to Auckland with all his belongings and woke on January 7 to find his car broken into.  Photo / Supplied
Beau Rebel was moving to Auckland with all his belongings and woke on January 7 to find his car broken into. Photo / Supplied

Rebel took his search online, hoping to find some of his possessions being flicked off.

"I started to look on Trade Me and Facebook to see if any of my stolen stuff would pop up, and that's when I started to notice all the other reports of break-ins."

After deciding to put a call out on Facebook Group Vic Deals, similar stories began to flood in.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Teen won't deny charges related to school lockdown

15 Jan 12:00 AM
New Zealand

Christchurch's busiest and most dangerous roads

20 Jan 11:55 PM
New Zealand

Police name pair who died in wrong-way Wellington motorway crash

21 Jan 04:08 AM
Entertainment

Whats On in Wellington: Anniversary weekend activities

21 Jan 04:00 PM

"About six on Tasman Street, another four at the Wilson carpark and then five others around the Basin Reserve area, all in the past two weeks."

Recent graduate Dylan Clark woke on Monday, January 18 to find his and other cars smashed and robbed along Tasman Street.

Dylan Clarke found his car smashed and his belongings gone. Photo / Supplied
Dylan Clarke found his car smashed and his belongings gone. Photo / Supplied

"I got in and didn't realise anything was wrong for a solid minute. Looked around and realised everything was out of place and the glove box was open with things just everywhere, so I was like, hold on."

He said it was a gut-wrenching start to the week.

"I had some documents with my name on them and probably even the address and knowing that some random has seen all of it, it's terrible.

"Knowing they took all of my girlfriends' clothes and are either wearing them or selling them, it's an awful feeling for her as well."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said it wasn't until he took a walk down the street that he realised he was one of many all in one hit.

"I got out of the car and saw a few other cars on the same street were all smashed as well.
"It looked like someone had a really good go."

Clark filed a report with police but has heard nothing back. Like many others, he felt he and his girlfriend had no option but to turn to community Facebook group Vic Deals.

"I didn't realise how much this is going on until it happened to me. Now I'm in it and I'm seeing so many others posting. It seems like it's happening a lot lately."

Just a five-minute walk across town, Victoria Hopgood had her car smashed into and robbed on Monday, January 11, and then again one week later parked at the Wilson carpark on Willis St.

"I got a call from the Wilson carpark saying that my car had been broken into near the rear window.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They missed my credit card in the front seat but they ended up taking a bag full of my undies, which is a bit weird."

Hopgood promptly got the window fixed, but returned one week later to find the same result.

Victoria Hapgood's car was broken into on Willis Street earlier this month. Photo / Supplied
Victoria Hapgood's car was broken into on Willis Street earlier this month. Photo / Supplied

"I parked back in the carpark as I always do, but then I got a call the following Monday from a police officer saying it had been broken into again through the same window.

"Nothing was taken this time but they did rummage through the car a lot more."

Similar to Rebel, Hopgood filed a police report after both break-ins, but follow-ups with police have gone unanswered.

"There seems to be not that much of a push from police.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They are helping but they are just clearly either understaffed or overwhelmed with the response they've been getting."

Hopgood turned to the web and was shocked to see Rebel's post alongside countless others.

"It's definitely shone a light on the fact that there has been a lot of break-ins.

"It's just sad because I thought this was just a one-off thing but it just shows that it's on a much larger scale."

Police are aware of a few reports of vehical thefts 'anecdotally'. Photo / 123rf
Police are aware of a few reports of vehical thefts 'anecdotally'. Photo / 123rf

Acting Inspector Warwick McKee said Police weren't aware of a spike in car-related crime.

"Anecdotally we are aware of a few reports of cars being stolen across Wellington, however there is no indication of a larger trend," he said.

"Police take vehicle thefts seriously and work with communities through Neighbourhood Watch programmes to help prevent this kind of criminal activity.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We can't do it alone and we need local communities to report any suspicious activity they see, when they see it."

A Wellington student, who the Herald agreed not to name, had her car broken into on January 15 at the same Willis St carpark as Hopgood.

She said there's no doubt it's a serious issue and can leave many like her helpless.

"I'm on Uni break at the moment so I rely on my car a lot to get to client's houses for my cleaning job. So obviously I'm out of work now because my car isn't drivable.

"It seems there's a lot too. There's been three others in the same car park as mine, and then another two just down the street this week just off Willis Street."

Similar to many others voicing their concerns online, she felt going to the police was a dead end.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The police haven't been helpful. They only called to tell me about it, but they haven't called to check up on it or anything."

Wilson Parking said it acknowledged and observed the recent break-ins in its car park and around the city, and is working to minimise the risk.

"Wilson Parking takes the safety of our customers and their vehicles very seriously. We also acknowledge that theft is always a risk in parking both on and off the street.

"To reduce the number of incidents, Wilson has, and continues to make considerable investment in theft ex-car prevention."

New Zealand Police currently have no data on car break-ins and theft, due to their being no standalone offence for it.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New ZealandUpdated

Ute flips onto beach in Hawke's Bay

09 Jul 02:48 AM
New Zealand

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

09 Jul 02:22 AM
New Zealand

'Very efficient': Fine-sweeper car snaps more than 5000 parking violations in five months

09 Jul 02:05 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Ute flips onto beach in Hawke's Bay

Ute flips onto beach in Hawke's Bay

09 Jul 02:48 AM

Bollards were smashed near the community hall and playground.

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

09 Jul 02:22 AM
'Very efficient': Fine-sweeper car snaps more than 5000 parking violations in five months

'Very efficient': Fine-sweeper car snaps more than 5000 parking violations in five months

09 Jul 02:05 AM
'Concerning': Three young people escape remand home, police search under way

'Concerning': Three young people escape remand home, police search under way

09 Jul 02:00 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP