13 September 2013

Beware the thieves of Floriade

| johnboy
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ACT Policing has issued a reminder to those attending Floriade to properly secure unattended cars and hide valuables.

The advice was issued as the city gears up for an influx of thousands of interstate visitors over the next four weeks, with the ACT’s now-famous spring flower festival as one of the key attractions.

As many of the visitors are likely to be leaving their vehicles unattended for several hours in car parks around the city – and particularly around Commonwealth Park – Crime Prevention Station Sergeant Harry Hains has warned of the need to take a few simple security precautions.

“Before leaving your parked car, it’s important to take that extra minute to check that all valuables are hidden from view, the doors and boot are locked and secure, the windows are up and sunroof closed,” Sergeant Hains said.

“Leaving items such as wallets, mobile phones, sunglasses, money or CDs in plain view only serves as a temptation for petty thieves.”

ACT Policing will step up random patrolling of car parks during Floriade using both marked and unmarked cars. Sergeant Hains said the members of the public also can assist in watching out for and reporting suspicious behaviour.

“If anyone is seen loitering around the car parks, peering into car windows or acting in a suspicious manner around parked vehicles, we would urge them to call police on 131 444,” Sergeant Hains added.

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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IrishPete said :

dtc said :

Way to miss the point everyone…

Many of the visitors are tourists ie they are travelling with things that usually are ‘safe’ and secure in their houses. But because they are travelling, they might be left in the car since who wants to lug around their laptop or whatever when visiting Floriade.

Ok, these people probably dont read ACT Police releases, but thats hardly a reason not to give the reminder.

If you want to store valuables in your car when parked out the front of your house, then your problem.

perhaps you missed my suggestion that the visitors leave their valuables in their hotel?

IP

Perhaps you assumed that (a) people are staying in hotels rather than being day trippers and (b)even if they are staying in hotels, they havent gone to Floriade after having booked out at 10am like most hotels require?

dtc said :

Many of the visitors are tourists ie they are travelling with things that usually are ‘safe’ and secure in their houses. But because they are travelling, they might be left in the car since who wants to lug around their laptop or whatever when visiting Floriade.

Ok, these people probably dont read ACT Police releases, but thats hardly a reason not to give the reminder.
.

What? People leaving home to come to Canberra’s flower show, leave their brains behind?

dtc said :

Way to miss the point everyone…

Many of the visitors are tourists ie they are travelling with things that usually are ‘safe’ and secure in their houses. But because they are travelling, they might be left in the car since who wants to lug around their laptop or whatever when visiting Floriade.

Ok, these people probably dont read ACT Police releases, but thats hardly a reason not to give the reminder.

If you want to store valuables in your car when parked out the front of your house, then your problem.

perhaps you missed my suggestion that the visitors leave their valuables in their hotel?

IP

wildturkeycanoe said :

I’m not an advocate of leaving your bomb of a car unlocked. I can just see the lawyers go ape when a bunch of drunk teens get in, hotwire the ignition, do burnouts, kill someone and then blame you for not keeping your vehicle secure.
As for the media release, I’d like to see how fast they come running when you cry wolf. 15 minutes, half an hour, or just “here’s an incident number for your insurance claim”.

I think you should be fairly safe, given they could have smashed a window anyway. if they know how to hotwire, they know how to smash a window or force or bypass a lock.

IP

wildturkeycanoe10:09 pm 14 Sep 13

I’m not an advocate of leaving your bomb of a car unlocked. I can just see the lawyers go ape when a bunch of drunk teens get in, hotwire the ignition, do burnouts, kill someone and then blame you for not keeping your vehicle secure.
As for the media release, I’d like to see how fast they come running when you cry wolf. 15 minutes, half an hour, or just “here’s an incident number for your insurance claim”.

p1 said :

I have lately taken to leaving my crappy, twenty year old, car parked out the front of my house with all the doors unlocked. I figure at least they shouldn’t need to break a window to find out there is nothing worth stealing. Unless you are desperate enough for the two cent pieces in the ashtray.

I’ve been thinking I should have done that. Nothing in view, nothing to steal out of view (unless you like reusable shopping bags a lot) and now my door is stuffed. Should have just left it unlocked.

Way to miss the point everyone…

Many of the visitors are tourists ie they are travelling with things that usually are ‘safe’ and secure in their houses. But because they are travelling, they might be left in the car since who wants to lug around their laptop or whatever when visiting Floriade.

Ok, these people probably dont read ACT Police releases, but thats hardly a reason not to give the reminder.

If you want to store valuables in your car when parked out the front of your house, then your problem.

I have lately taken to leaving my crappy, twenty year old, car parked out the front of my house with all the doors unlocked. I figure at least they shouldn’t need to break a window to find out there is nothing worth stealing. Unless you are desperate enough for the two cent pieces in the ashtray.

Gosh, I feel like I’m in Baltimore.

Of course, anyone who is dumb enough to leave valuables in plain sight in a parked car is an avid reader of ACT Police press releases, and will therefore mend their ways immediately.

As a great philosopher said, what a bunch of maroons!

“Leaving items such as wallets, mobile phones, sunglasses, money or CDs in plain view only serves as a temptation for petty thieves.”

Leaving petty theives univestigated, and let off without punishment even when caught, serves as a bigger temptation, surely?

Another stupid media release from the ACT policing folk.

Sandman said :

ACT Policing has issued a reminder to those parking outside their house to properly secure unattended cars and hide valuables. Leaving wallets in cars overnight is an idiotic thing to do, and should residents be overly concerned about damage to their vehicles it’s recomended that they park the vehicle in the garage or on their own property behind a gate, rather than out on the street where any opportunistic junkie can smash a window.

Not sure who your sarcasm is aimed at, but it is notable that the media release tells people to hide their valuables from view, not to take them out of the car. Maybe Floriade visitors should leave their valuables at home (for the burglars) or in the hotel (for the underpaid cleaners).

Not everyone has a garage, or not enough garages for all the cars, and many of us use garages to store other things than cars.

IP

Concerned said :

IrishPete said :

Why is theft from cars parked at Floriade a problem worth considering, but not thefts from cars parked outside people’s houses?

IP

here here… well said IP

Hear, hear would have been even better said…

IrishPete said :

Why is theft from cars parked at Floriade a problem worth considering, but not thefts from cars parked outside people’s houses?

IP

here here… well said IP

ACT Policing has issued a reminder to those parking outside their house to properly secure unattended cars and hide valuables. Leaving wallets in cars overnight is an idiotic thing to do, and should residents be overly concerned about damage to their vehicles it’s recomended that they park the vehicle in the garage or on their own property behind a gate, rather than out on the street where any opportunistic junkie can smash a window.

Huh, ring the police, yeah right. Years ago many of us who parked their cars all day in Braddon were broken into. One day I was there at midday, and saw two guys doing the rounds, one looking into cars, the other keeping lookout. I rang the cops from my car, and sat there for half an hour, watching these two characters. No cops.

As for “have no valuables in view”, my recently-broken-into car had no valuables in view, or out of view, but it was still broken into.

Thieves know they can do what they like with impunity and they don’t give a crap.

Why is theft from cars parked at Floriade a problem worth considering, but not thefts from cars parked outside people’s houses?

IP

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