A former Victoria Police detective has attributed the state’s escalating car theft crisis to weak sentencing, as Victoria records the highest rate of vehicle thefts in Australia. More than 10,000 vehicles are stolen across Victoria each year, equating to about 27 every day or one every 42 minutes, earning the state the unwanted title of the nation’s car theft capital.
Former detective blames courts
Former detective Charlie Bezzina told Sunrise on Monday that the growing problem has a financial impact far beyond immediate victims, with insurance premiums rising as thefts become more common. “This is the second biggest asset we buy and the economic effect it’s having on all of us. We all pay higher premiums,” he said. “The gravity of stealing a person’s motor car is so significant... The value and the flow-on effect, and the victim of crime continues to be ignored.”
Bezzina said vehicle thefts are driven by a mix of youth offenders and organised criminal networks. “We’ve got the youth gangs at the behest of organised crime figures doing these arson attacks,” he said. “You’ve also got organised crime gangs stealing cars to water straight into a shipping container and over to the Middle Eastern countries. So a cross-section of the lucrative market of stealing motorcars.”
Call for tougher penalties
Despite police efforts, Bezzina argued the courts are failing to deter repeat offenders. He said tougher penalties are needed to break the cycle of reoffending and send a message that vehicle theft would have serious consequences. “Start locking these people up, the recidivist offenders. This is where it’s got to be to send that strong message, and the courts continue to fail the community of Victoria,” Bezzina said.
The comments come as Victoria Police continue to battle increasingly sophisticated theft methods, including electronic key cloning technology that allows criminals to steal vehicles within minutes.
Key cloning devices widespread
Car expert and founder Paul Maric told Sunrise that thieves are using devices capable of copying a vehicle owner’s key and disabling legitimate access. “A cloning device basically allows a thief to replicate the owner’s car key. They can clear the existing keys attached to that car as well,” Maric said. “It means that they can basically take your car away within minutes and the keys will still be inside your home.”
Police have seized more than 1,000 cloning devices since last year.
Security measures and vulnerabilities
Victoria Police are encouraging motorists to use additional security measures, including steering wheel locks and OBD port locks, to make vehicles more difficult to steal. However, Maric warned some vehicles remain vulnerable regardless of the precautions owners take. “Unfortunately, if you own a Toyota, they can basically steal that car using cables outside the car. They don’t even need to get access to your vehicle,” he said. “It really is just a troubling time at the moment for Victorian car owners.”
