Community safety

How to prevent theft from your car

Theft from a motor vehicle tends to be a crime of opportunity. By taking a few extra precautions to secure your vehicle and the contents inside, you can significantly lower your chances of being affected by this type of crime.

What can you do?

• Always keep your doors and windows locked when your car is left unattended, even if it's for a short period of time, or when it is parked in your driveway or on your street at home.

• Avoid leaving your valuables in plain view. You should take items like your mobile phone, handbag or wallet, GPS and spare change with you as you leave your car, or hide them out of sight before locking your car.

• Try to find a parking spot in a well-lit or populated area. Parking under a street light, next to a busy road, or in plain sight of others can increase the security of your
  car. 

How to prevent car theft

Did you know 7 in 10 cars are stolen with their own keys. Often keys are stolen without the owner noticing they're gone.

Vehicle thefts are almost always opportunistic in nature, with offenders often entering homes through unlocked doors and windows to get car keys. Some offenders are even prepared to enter while you are home, to quickly grab keys left in easily accessible spots.

The number of vehicles reported stolen from Lake Macquarie City from April 2018 to March 2019 was 524, down from 556 in the previous year.

Despite this positive reduction, it’s important to keep your vehicle safe by keeping your keys in a secure place.

Car security begins at home.

What can you do?

• Safeguard your keys – consider them to be as valuable as your car itself. Keep them in a discreet and secure place, such as in a drawer, rather than on a bench.
• Lock your door behind you as you enter or leave home.
• Make sure others are taking the same security measures.
• Don’t tag your keys with your name or address – use a mobile phone number or driver licence number instead.
• At home, keep trees and shrubs well-trimmed in order to provide a clear line of sight to the street and reduce potential hiding places.
• Motion-activated external security lighting can deter intruders.
• Consider installing a visible, signposted alarm system as a deterrent to criminals.
• Be a good neighbour. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it immediately to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

Home security tips

Follow these three simple tips to improve your home security.

Lock it

Prevent home burglary by making it harder for offenders to get into your home. Lock all doors and windows, even when you are home or if you will only be away for a short time.

Light it

Most home burglaries occur when the home is unoccupied. You can make it look like someone is home by leaving lights at night. You might also keep a radio or TV running.

Label it

It is harder for offenders to sell stolen property that is clearly marked with the owner’s details. It also makes it easier for police to return property to its rightful owner. Label valuables with personal information using marker pens, an engraving tool or micro tags.

Protect yourself against scams and fraud

Scams are becoming increasingly common, with people now targeted through phone calls, mail, email, online and in person.

Scammers use many different methods to steal your money or sensitive information, including:

• Fake tax, government or insurance rebates
• Door-to-door home maintenance offers
• Online shops advertised on social media
• Online dating scams
• An unexpected prize win

Protect yourself from identity theft and scams with a few simple actions:

Lock

• Lock your mailbox with a padlock
• Protect bank cards with PINs
• Create strong passwords
• Lock your computer and don’t give people remote access
• Keep important documents locked up when travelling
• Always log out of personal accounts online

Check

• Check the legitimacy of businesses, prize and financial claims, important documents, dating profiles, emails and text messages
• Regularly check account statements for any unusual activity and request a copy of your annual credit report from a credit agency
• Know your rights as a consumer.Legitimate businesses offer cooling-off periods
• Look for the padlock symbol in the website address bar to ensure you are using a secure website

Protect

• Don’t share personal information if you are unsure of the legitimacy of the request
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately
• Report concerns to your bank
• Keep passwords stored in a safe and secure location
• Install reputable security software on your devices
• Shred documents containing personal information
• Report scams to scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam

Learn more about avoiding scams and fraud at Scam Watch and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Report graffiti 

Council recognises that graffiti is an important social issue and we make every effort to rapidly remove and repair graffiti damage across the City. 

Since 2012, Council has been funding the Graffiti Hotspot Program to assist the community with removal of graffiti from property and infrastructure that Council is not responsible to maintain, this includes private property and commercial premises. On average the Graffiti Hotspot Program results in the resolution of 150 incidents of graffiti damage each year.

Through this partnership program, Council works with the community to identify unwanted and offensive graffiti, and where possible have the graffiti removed through its partnership with other government agencies and infrastructure providers. We encourage community members to report incidents of graffiti to Council by calling 02 4921 0333 or emailing [email protected].