Recent local vehicle thefts are consistent with national trends – as revealed by AMI’s recently released list of the top-10 most stolen vehicles in New Zealand.

The list had Toyota Aqua in first place, Toyota Corolla second and Nissan Tiida third. Whakatāne’s weekly crime report posted on Neighbourhood Support Facebook page reflects this with three Toyota Aquas and two Nissan Tiidas either broken into or stolen last week.

Senior Sergeant Cam Mackinnon said vehicle crime continued to be a problem in the Eastern Bay.

“Some cars have more security systems and mechanisms inside them, which makes them more difficult to steal, but regardless of the vehicle type, taking simple precautions can reduce the risk of becoming a target.”

He reminds owners to lock their vehicles at all times, remove valuables from sight, consider installing alarm systems or steering wheel locks, and park off the street where possible

“When you’re driving around town at night, you can expect to see police patrolling.

“They may pull you over. They’re looking to make sure that the right people are driving the right vehicles.”