Auto owners desperate to prevent their cars from being stolen have had to remove batteries and fuses from them every night amid a wave of car thefts.
Dean Stone, who lives in Cairns, in the extreme north of Queensland, said he was forced to take extreme measures to protect his car after it was robbed.
While living in the tropical city, Mr. Stone said he spends a few minutes every night removing the car batteries and engine fuses, which the car can’t start without.
‘It took two minutes to pull a fuse and put it back in. It has prevented my cars from being stolen,’ he told Cairns Post.
Mr Stone said he believes car and home thefts have become more common because they are considered ‘very easy to get’.
Cairns saw its car theft record broken in 2021 as offenders stole a total of 782 vehicles during the year – an average of 65.1 vehicles a month.
The city is on track to break records again in 2022 with 485 vehicles stolen from the area since the beginning of May this year.
Dean Stone (above) says he removes car batteries and engine fuses every night amid a wave of robberies in Cairns, Queensland’s far north
Craig Moore, owner of the Moore Solutions security store in Cairns, told the Post he’s seen a spike in customers as auto theft breaks out across the city.
Mr. Moore said he has been particularly busy over the past year with both burglary victims and those worried about the safety of their homes flooding his business with requests.
Mr Moore said: “The crime rates in Cairns and FNQ are out of control and if there is something a person can do to make them feel safe and secure in their property they should do anything. whatever is possible.
Home security sales have surged in Cairns over the past year with many residents reporting car and home theft
With the dramatic increase in thefts, locals have created online groups dedicated to tracking stolen items, warning each other about intruders, and sharing tips to avoid being stolen. thieves.
‘I bought GPS tracking. Cost $100 and $10 a month. Hopefully never need it but I know where my car is and where it is,’ one person wrote online.
‘Perhaps if everyone sold their cars as a precaution and we all used taxis and buses that could be kept private and key with security in one block, we would no worries about unplugging and re-plugging batteries, hiding keys, another said.
Mr. Stone recommends that people equip their homes with CCTV cameras, motion sensor alarms, window locks and more than two door locks to increase the safety of their homes.
