More police needed in region, they say

STEVE Quaife is frustrated and angry, and unfortunately local police have felt the brunt of his words the last week as, along with community support, he was integral in finding his own stolen Holden VN.

“I’ve had to take days off work, close my business and spend monies tracking down leads,” Steve stated.

“I’m exhausted, frustrated and mentally drained.”

Without a battery, the vehicle has been on quite a journey.

Stolen from South Wonthaggi on January 19 at 3.50am, the VN was spotted dumped on Korumburra-Wonthaggi Road at the Lance Creek stockpile yard.

Later that same day, the vehicle was spotted in various locations in Leongatha, including the Leongatha Car Wash and Petrol Station.

By January 20 at 3.45pm, the vehicle was then outside Holcim Quarry in Lang Lang after being towed by a dark blue FG Ute at 3.30pm. The driver displaying P plates and wearing high vis.

Reaching out across social media, Steve was also hesitant, not always knowing what he was walking into with a lead.

“We received a lot of information, but it’s hard to trust everyone, as much as you want to.

“Driving around slow at night, anyone we saw we’d ask if they’d seen anything and let them know what we were doing so they didn’t get spooked by us.”

Chasing up CCTV footage, Steve could not be more thankful to the many community members and businesses who helped along the way.

“We handed the footage we collected to the police, but they hadn’t even looked at it (earlier in the week) – it’s not their fault they’re understaffed.”

Late last week the vehicle was found. It had even been sold along the way.

“We finally located the vehicle (in Nerrena), could see it, it was 200 metres away and the police didn’t want us to go on the property,” Steve stated.

“They had to wait for a warrant and follow official procedures. At 4am on Saturday we headed home.”

Hopeful the car would remain until the warrant arrived.

Steve was accompanied by his brother from Melbourne, who not only provided company but also helped keep him calm.

Steve is also no stranger to dealing with local police regarding stolen property, working at a local bottle shop that has also been subjected to theft.

“The most frustrating thing for me, and it’s not the police’s fault, they need more police. The town’s getting bigger and bigger and crime rates are through the roof.”

Over the weekend the vehicle was recovered and checked over by Bass Coast CI Unit, with the condition, at time of print, unknown.

With a spate of burglaries across Gippsland, police are urging owners to ensure their cars are properly secured and their houses are locked. Unlocked houses are easy targets.

Police also highlighted that they take stolen property offences very seriously and always urge victims to contact their local station or Crime Stoppers.

Bass Coast Shire is serviced by a 24-hour police station in Wonthaggi, with stations in San Remo, Cowes, Korumburra, Leongatha, Inverloch and various other locations.  

The location and deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Commissioner of Police.

Other recent vehicle thefts:
January 27 – A Commodore was stolen from Korumburra. The vehicle was located on January 28.
January 27/28 – A 15-year-old stole a grey Corolla from Cape Woolamai and proceeded to perform two drive offs at BP Cowes and Ampol Bass. The offender was located in Leongatha in the stolen vehicle.
January 25/26 – Three vehicles were stolen from Inverloch. Investigations are ongoing and the vehicles have not yet been located.
January 25/26 – Between 5.45pm and 8am a blue Yamaha motorcycle was stolen from the carpark between Dan Murphy’s and Big W in Wonthaggi. Investigations are ongoing.
January 4/5 – A 1989 Nissan Patrol was stolen from North Wonthaggi. Investigations are ongoing and the vehicle has not been located.
January 4/5 – A Silver Holden Commodore was stolen in close proximity to a Nissan Patrol on the same evening. Investigations are ongoing and the vehicle has not been location.
If anyone has any information, including CCTV or dashcam footage, that could assist in any of the above investigations please contact Wonthaggi Police on 5671 4100 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

Carjacking epidemic locally

WONTHAGGI, Inverloch and Korumburra car owners have been caught up in a fearful, region-wide crime spree, targeting cars and unlocked houses.

In the worst of the incidents three vehicles were stolen from a residential property in Inverloch, in the early hours of last Wednesday, January 25, with the thieves entering the house to steal keys while the family were asleep inside.

It follows other car thefts and the theft of keys from Wonthaggi in the past week, followed by another car stolen in Korumburra on Friday but since found.

The brazen thieves stole the keys to the Inverloch cars from just outside the victims’ bedroom door.

“This morning we got up to start our day at 5am and were startled when we realised our three cars were stolen from our home,” said Nikya Toomey.

“The crooks helped themselves into our home, took our keys from outside our bedroom door and left with most of our life in all three of them.”

The family operates a catering and café business, Lime and Co, with early starts and a lot of their equipment in the vehicles.

“They broke into our kash van and attempted to steal our knives too,” she said, referring to the distinctive silver Airstream-style caravan they use for catering gigs.

“We urge anyone to keep an eye out for our three cars please.

“We feel violated, shocked and devastated. Please share this around.”

As late as Monday this week, there had still been no word from police about the stolen vehicles, although they were quickly on the scene, fingerprinting and investigating last Wednesday and may have some useful leads.

It follows the theft of a Nissan Patrol in Ivor Street Wonthaggi a few weeks ago, a prized VP Commodore from Broome Crescent recently, the theft of keys from Korumburra Road in the past week and last Friday, the theft of a of a 2009 Commodore wagon in Korumburra.

But it’s not isolated to South Gippsland.

Last Friday afternoon, January 27, an aggravated burglary at Glengarry, allegedly involving machetes and a stolen car, ended in the fiery crash of a stolen police car at Yarragon.

Inspector Peter Fusinato of the Baw Baw police district, stressed that not only should people keep their cars locked, they should also securely lock their houses as would-be thieves were likely to be discouraged from breaking in to steal keys.

He also acknowledged that many of the aggravated burglaries, associated with stealing keys and cars, involved offenders from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs coming out into the nearby country areas, although some offenders were also local.

On Sunday, January 29 in Traralgon he said offenders were seen on CCTV cameras trying the door handles on a car at one address, returning an hour later to enter the home by an unlocked side door to steal the keys and ultimately the car, a 2015 Nissan Patrol, later involved in a petrol drive off.

There was another car, a Mercedes 240, stolen from another Traralgon home and later found in Chelsea.

Other cars have been stolen in the past week, one at Morwell where the offenders have entered an unlocked front door and stolen keys while the occupants were home. There was a similar incident

in Sale.
The message from police – lock your car and lock the doors and windows of your home.