QPolice Cut Car Theft Squad from 18 to 3 Officers.

[csv8]

QUEENSLAND police have cut their dedicated car theft squad from 18 officers to three as the state's stolen car rate rises at an alarming rate.

At the same time, the Newman Government's axing of a $205,000 grant for the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council has industry sources bracing for worse than the 26 per cent leap in cars stolen in Queensland last year.

A spokesman for Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the Government was "not at this stage" reconsidering a decision to "downsize" the car theft unit with police priorities shifting following the shooting murder of Gold Coast police officer Damian Leeding in May last year.

Industry sources questioned the commitment of some senior police to vehicle theft in favour of "sexier" areas of organised crime, saying the squad had lost expertise at a crucial time.

But Detective-Inspector Darryl Charleson, who oversees the squad, said staffing was "fluid" enough to respond when necessary.

Insurance Council of Australia chief Rob Whelan wrote to Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie warning that Queensland, the only state to baulk at the "modest" funding commitment, risked the future of a body that had saved the nation hundreds of millions of dollars.

The cost of car theft in Queensland - the only mainland state where theft rose since 2007 - leaped $32 million to $157 million in the year to March, raising fears of higher insurance premiums.

The number of passenger and light commercial vehicles stolen leaped 22 per cent in the first three months of the year.

An Insurance Council spokesman said the spike, which followed a decade of declining thefts across Australia, showed "professional thieves are becoming more resourceful, increasingly stealing cars to cut (them) up for spare parts and are moving cars across state borders to hide their activities".

"The NMVTRC helps combat this type of crime and provides a co-ordinated response to vehicle theft in Australia and it currently retains support of all other states and territories in Australia," the spokesman said.

The number of vehicles stolen in Australia has fallen by more than 80,000, or 58 per cent, since the NMVTRC began in 2001.

State governments have shared the cost of funding it on a 50/50 basis with insurers, together contributing $2.25 million last year.

NMVTRC chairman David Morgan said the council was "still hopeful of finding a pathway to continue our important work".
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1226453656775

[jpd80]

Qld has opened up a can of CAN-DOO.....

[Jim Goose]

Never ceases to amaze me...

[atec77]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Qld has opened up a can of CAN-DOO.....

The austerity measures are kinda austere , but in a survey at the local plaza 40%+ or cars were unlocked or had a window able to be entered , certainly owners taking responsibility in securing their cars goes a long way to slowing theft , the addition or more Police helps of course but ultimatly were have to do our part

[Nic85]

I've worked Security for many years, a lot of those at shopping centers. When I worked at Morayfield shopping centre, we would get the same car (a green Hyundai Tuscon) leave its rear drivers side door open once a week. A quick walk through the car park would reveal countless cars with doors unlocked, windows left half down etc. It was a joke.

As above, people have to take responsibility for their own ****. You can't steal cars anymore. You can steal the keys to the car and drive away in it though.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Nic85

When I worked at Morayfield shopping centre, we would get the same car (a green Hyundai Tuscon) leave its rear drivers side door open once a week.

Well i hope you told the owner, i would be p****d if my car kept leaving it's door open....

[Lightning Strike GT]

Welcome to the world of Can Do
I hope one day he needs the police - sorry it is after hours no OT and we only have 1 car for the area
He needs the fire brigade - sorry we have no big red truck we have no budget for a new one
He needs a doctor - sorry they have all been retrenched due to cost cutting
Good luck Mr Can Do

[BHDOGS]

Atleast labour pays them even if it means debt

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by atec77

The austerity measures are kinda austere , but in a survey at the local plaza 40%+ or cars were unlocked or had a window able to be entered , certainly owners taking responsibility in securing their cars goes a long way to slowing theft , the addition or more Police helps of course but ultimatly were have to do our part

With devices like key re programmers, it takes less than 30 seconds to enter a locked car.
In the past, a lot of cars stolen without a key were assumed by investigators to be unlocked,
now police are not so sure..

maybe it's time people started carrying their own wheel clamps.....

[flappist]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

Atleast labour pays them even if it means debt

Yes right up until the money runs out completely and then there is nothing.

Just wondering if maybe instead of having 18 guys doing admin in a castle in Brisbane maybe just maybe the actual CIB in all the regional centres could maybe do a bit of it.

One day check how many admin weanies are in weapons registry.... (give you a clue it is a 3 digit number up from 8 a few years ago)

[xisled]

What is going to be different, someone car theft that will probably never net a thief has less people working on it. I can see why they are downsizing. Most car thefts are unsolved. Why have 18 when 3 people is enough.

[Jim Goose]

I think the "car theft squad" would be aimed towards organised car theft.... not cars being stolen for joyrides by bored teenagers.

[Nikked]

QLD have had major problems with stolen cars over the past year...


Boostcruising has been littered with stories about stolen Skylines and Silvias.

[DJM83]

Probably 15 more been put in HWP...

[rjr]

Originally Posted by Lightning Strike GT

Welcome to the world of Can Do
I hope one day he needs the police - sorry it is after hours no OT and we only have 1 car for the area
He needs the fire brigade - sorry we have no big red truck we have no budget for a new one
He needs a doctor - sorry they have all been retrenched due to cost cutting
Good luck Mr Can Do

Now called Premier UnDo Newman.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by jpd80

With devices like key re programmers, it takes less than 30 seconds to enter a locked car.
In the past, a lot of cars stolen without a key were assumed by investigators to be unlocked,
now police are not so sure..

maybe it's time people started carrying their own wheel clamps.....

This, my boss had his VE SSV stolen from a concealed driveway at work, it was locked and no keys were taken..

[2011G6E]

Seeing as how most cars that are stolen aren't locked or sometimes have the keys in them (you deserve it...) or are stolen to order by professionals (no alarm will stop that, and you'll never see it again), not sure what police can do.

How many "dedicated" stolen car cops do they need? I've never even heard of this group before...people just call the local cops if a car is stolen.

The cost cutting going on in Queensland is basically cutting out the dead wood from years of Labor over-populating the middle and upper management of all sorts of departments and funding all sorts of odd bureaucracies that never existed before. Just in my job over the last few years we've seen management expand dramatically...what used to be worker-supervisor-manager is now worker-supervisor-head supervisor-manager of department-manager-manager-manager-consultant team-more managers...and on and on.

[Vincenzo]

I'm sorry , but you are all looking at this the wrong way. What a brilliant piece of thinking he has come up with.

Think about it. Less people to investigate stolen cars, less recoveries, more cheap spare parts for those of us who need them, more vehicles sold as a result of needing another car / insurance payouts etc.

Car industry benefits as a result. Downsized workers now have a job to go back to. Insurance companies now have a bigger base of funds to call from after the shocking 2010 / 2011 floods.

You also need to remember the (secret) deals made behind closed doors as a means to thank those in "Big Business" who were his backers. Come on, its a win / win [end sarcasm]

[nstg8a]

hmm, maybe i can have that r-spec after all....

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

How many "dedicated" stolen car cops do they need? I've never even heard of this group before...people just call the local cops if a car is stolen.
.

I think I answered this before.... You may find the squad is dedicated to ORGANISED car theft rackets.

[Linkachu]

Stop all thefts by putting out more speed cameras! That'll show em.

[DJR-351]

15 more Kojak’s with Kodak’s out on the roads......much better $ return.....

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by flappist

Yes right up until the money runs out completely and then there is nothing.

Just wondering if maybe instead of having 18 guys doing admin in a castle in Brisbane maybe just maybe the actual CIB in all the regional centres could maybe do a bit of it.

Big problem is where he's doing the cuts, a lot of departments are having admin staff cut to the bone
All well and good until we realise that none of the processing paperwork is being done, guess who suffers?
the people who need services the most.

Without ploiticising this, the ball should have been passed to the public service long ago
to reform itself and make effective custs with minimal disruption to service delivery,
what we're seeing now is a dead set shamozzle in the making, everything from
QR to public health and teaching to QDOT and police are being carved up inside out
and not for the better I might add..try doing busines with these departments at the moment,
you can't get a straight answer because so many don't know whether they have a job come September.

[zak88]

Time to cut the traffic police number too. Too many of them just sitting in their cars hiding behind the bushes trying to catch speeding motorist rather than out there fighting serious crimes.

[deesun]

Having just moved to QLD I don't underestimate how effective it is but sometimes I wonder if a more cost effective way can be found to slow drivers down at night roadworks rather than having a policeman sitting in a car for hours on end.
I'm not sure if other states do it but not NSW. For those who dont know here in QLD almost any night roadworks has static police cars, lights flashing, stationed at the beginning and depending on length along the roadworks to keep the speeds down. Is a policemans time worth less than more stop/slow bat men.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by deesun

Having just moved to QLD I don't underestimate how effective it is but sometimes I wonder if a more cost effective way can be found to slow drivers down at night roadworks rather than having a policeman sitting in a car for hours on end.
I'm not sure if other states do it but not NSW. For those who dont know here in QLD almost any night roadworks has static police cars, lights flashing, stationed at the beginning and depending on length along the roadworks to keep the speeds down. Is a policemans time worth less than more stop/slow bat men.

Cant say I have ever seen Police stationed at roads works here in north QLD at night other then on one occasion.
If they are stationed there it is usually at the request of main roads or the contractor because too many drivers ARENT slowing down when directed to do so..... try standing on a dark road at night in a 100kmzone with cars coming past you just inches away because they are too stupid/ ignorant to follow the speed restrictions.

[Ben]

He has cut about 50% of my area and that is set to rise

[nstg8a]

Pretty much every night roadworks in Brisbane will have a manned marked patrol car sitting their the whole night, lights flashing and driver at the wheel.

I was told its not 'on duty' cops as such, but rather cops working overtime.
I didn't understand the explanation, but the point was clear, it's not cops spending their normal shift watching a roading crew do what they do.

[deesun]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

Pretty much every night roadworks in Brisbane will have a manned marked patrol car sitting their the whole night, lights flashing and driver at the wheel.

I was told its not 'on duty' cops as such, but rather cops working overtime.
I didn't understand the explanation, but the point was clear, it's not cops spending their normal shift watching a roading crew do what they do.

Not as exciting but if the money isnt too bad then its better than standing outside a club waiting to get king hit. Sort of like an on duty off duty cop. I can live with that.

[aussie muscle]

nevermind