Australind police top cop Senior Sergeant Luke Fowler sends stern warning to complacent residents

A spate of thefts relating to unlocked vehicles across Treendale has prompted a stern warning from one of the South West’s most senior officers. A total of three confirmed thefts from unlocked vehicles took place between midnight Tuesday January 11 and 5am Wednesday January 12 along Lunar Avenue and Milky Way Link in Treendale. Australind police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Luke Fowler said this type of offending was not common in the area, but there are likely to be similar reports relating to the same series of offences. “We’ve been canvassing for footage and we haven’t had too much luck yet but that’s why we just want people to check their cameras in that vicinity,” he said. “It wont just be those streets that were targeted, we really need people in that area generally to check their cameras.” The thefts have highlighted an underlying issue of residents failing to lock their car doors, which Sgt Fowler said is a Statewide issue. “People aren’t locking their cars and that’s just a general thing across, realistically the State, but generally in Australind we’re finding a lot of people just aren’t locking their cars,” he said. “It’s opportunistic theft, we very rarely get smashed windows of cars it would probably only be one in 10, it’s so rare that windows get smashed.” Sgt Fowler said securing vehicles was a good theft deterrent. “They (residents) are leaving a lot of important things in their cars, wallets, house keys, work documents, things that really should be bought inside or at least locked away somewhere,” he said. “I think it’s just a blase sort of attitude, not that they (residents) are lazy it’s just that you come in with an armful of shopping or the kids or the dogs or whatever it may be, then all of a sudden you don’t go back out to the car and it’s just left unlocked. “Generally we’re finding, after watching a lot of footage, that if the car’s locked they’ll test the door handle and move on to the next one.” There was another opportunistic theft in Australind when a box trailer was stolen on Friday January 7 after it was left parked along Raymond Road, near Forrest Highway at around 1pm. Sgt Fowler said the theft was unrelated to the string of car break-ins, however they are still investigating the offence and anyone with information should contact the police. “That sort of stuff (trailer theft) is very rare we don’t get a lot of that sort of behaviour, it’s just bad luck and opportunistic theft and people being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said. Sgt Fowler said it’s hard to say if the series of opportunistic theft would continue but he encouraged residents to install CCTV, as it can be a helpful tool for officers when offences occur. “We’re finding more CCTV in the newer established areas like Treendale and Eaton but the more the better and we’re always appreciative of people who have it,” he said. “But if they (residents) don’t have the money (to install CCTV), just lock your door that’s all we really ask. “You are increasing your chances of the offences occurring again by leaving valuables in the car and leaving it unlocked.”