Turning the Screws on Car Thieves

‘Turning the Screws on Crime’ Project (Theft of Number Plate Project) has been developed by police District Crime Prevention Co-ordinators from North Brisbane District, Pine Rivers District and Redcliffe District.

The project is aimed at raising awareness of number plate theft among members of the community in order to deter potential offenders from stealing number plates.

The participating police districts have identified an upward trend relating to theft of vehicle number plates.

District Crime Prevention Coordinator Sergeant Leanne Eggins said “The reason that offenders steal number plates is so they can use them on other vehicles to commit offences including armed robbery, break and enters and drive offs from petrol stations.”

Through this project, community awareness levels will be raised regarding the problem of number plate theft. The strategy proposed to curb this trend is to promote the use of non-reversible screws to attach number plates to vehicles, thus hardening the target by making it more difficult for offenders to commit the offence.

The screws will be provided free of charge by police officers in North Brisbane, Pine Rivers and Redcliffe Districts and only at Community Awareness Days.  The screws are not available at police stations.

The screws can only be removed by using a special tool which will be supplied on a restricted basis to police and Queensland Transport in the initial stages. 

Part of the project will be to gauge community acceptance towards the use of non-reversible screws. If deemed successful, approaches will be made to Queensland Transport and the Motor Traders Association to further develop this project.

Congratulations to all involved with this great crime prevention initiative.  Let’s hope that once this project is evaluated it can be expanded throughout the State.