Police are encouraging motorists to replace their existing license plate screws with tamper proof alternatives, to make it harder for the thieves to take off in their vehicle.
“We do see stolen plates and vehicles turn up in aggravated robberies, other crimes, petrol drive offs, ram raids - stuff like that,” area prevention manager Inspector Glenn Baldwin said.
Police are worried about an increasing number of stolen vehicles being used in crime. (Source: 1News)
Just this week a group – including an 11-year-old driver – tried to escape police in stolen cars after robbing a dairy in Sandringham, in Auckland.
READ MORE: 11-year-old driver among 9 arrested after Auckland ram raid
Last month, police in Hamilton said since February more than 50 people under 18 year olds were arrested after more than 500 cars were stolen.
While car thefts were always a problem, police said they had noticed a slight increase recently.
“People notice and report it immediately if a car is stolen, people don't always notice their number plates are stolen for a while it might be replaced by another set of stolen plates,” Baldwin said.
“They might prolong the ability for the stolen car to be unnoticed."
This week police set up a station in the Mount Eden Countdown Park alongside Community Patrol New Zealand, offering to replace people’s license plates screws.
“I had my car stolen last week so I’ve got a new one, so I thought this is a good opportunity,” said one man.
“It’s pretty naive of us to think it's not happening because it is,” said another woman.
“Quite a lot of a car crime recently in all parts of Auckland, but particularly around here,” Community Patrol New Zealand's Merril Bourne said.
Senior constable Di Tahiwi explained the tamper-proof screws had completely different heads to normal Philips or flat-head screws that required a specific tool to remove.
“When people are coming along to take it off it will take them a lot longer because they won't have the tools so they will move on to another car,” she said.
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