ACT Policing’s ongoing efforts to secure number plates against theft is heading south.
ACT Policing and Westfield Woden are joining forces to prevent number plate theft with a free program this weekend, Project Safe Plate.
This Saturday (September 7) between 10am-2pm, motorists are encouraged to bring their vehicles to the Westfield Woden Callam Street car park, opposite Hoyts, where officers will fit vehicle plates with tamper-proof screws.
Number plate theft is linked to other offences, such as petrol drive-offs and burglaries. This project is aimed at reducing the opportunity criminals have to use stolen plates as a criminal tool.
Officer-in-Charge of Woden Police Station Sergeant Steve Hogarth said he is looking forward to speaking with members of the community within his patrol zone about crime reduction strategies they can implement.
“Most people would generally only interact with police when something has gone wrong. Project Safe Plate is a great opportunity to for us to engage with the public in a positive way and it’s also a great way for people to meet their local police officers,” Sergeant Hogarth said.
“It’s also a quick and cost-free way to save yourself the huge inconvenience of having number plates stolen. The taper-proof screws are a great way to protect your vehicle and we’ll even install them for you.”
In the last financial year, 1381 number plates were reported stolen in the ACT and, of that, 338 were stolen in the Woden patrol zone.
Project Safe Plate is a whole-of-ACT coordinated effort, against action items contained within the ACT Government’s Property Crime Reduction Strategy. This year ACT Policing along with Westfield, Gungahlin Marketplace and It was also been held in Civic and Belconnen.
For more information on Project Safe Plate and future events go to police.act.gov.au.
If your registration plates are stolen, report it to ACT Policing on 131 444