Vehicles Converted At Rate Of Seven A Week

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30192, 25 July 1963, Page 14

Vehicles Converted At Rate Of Seven A Week

In the first six months of this year, 167 cars, vans, trucks, power-cycles, and motor-cycles were converted in Christchurch and its suburbs. The average worth of the cars converted was £650. making a total of about £650,000 worth of cars converted in the period. “My experience leads me to suppose that the number of conversions would be cut considerably if persons removed ignition keys from vehicles and locked them when leaving them on the streets, in parking lots, or in drives of homes,” said the head of the Christchurch C. 1.8. (Detective-Chief Inspector W. H. A. Sharp) yesterday. The rate of vehicle conversions in Christchurch from January to the end of last month was almost seven a week. Vehicles converted were 101 cars, six vans, six trucks,' 31 power-cycles, and 23 motor-cycles. All the vehicles except one have been found. The number of offenders caught by the police was 56. and these persons had carried out 84 conversions in the period. Inquiries are continuing, and it is expected that more offenders will be caught. Offenders dealt with on conversion charges in this period comprised 15 adults and 41 juveniles. Most of the offenders apprehended were between 15 and 22 years. One offender was a boy aged 12, and a man was aged 54. One woman and a girl were among the offenders.

Many of the cars converted were recovered damaged. One of them was deliberately rolled over a cliff, and another was sold tp a car sale* firm. A matter of concern to the police is the number of juven-

iles, youths aged 16 years 11 months and under, who convert vehicles. In the period under review, 73 per cent, of the offenders dealt with were juveniles. This is a consistent pattern. and the officer in charge of the Christchurch police district (Superintendent G C. Urquhart) said that it showed how easy vehicle users made it for would-be converters.

"Most converted cars are left unlocked and in,ia good many cases ignition keys are left in the vehicles.” he said

"The first crime committed by many youths is the conversion of a vehicle. Ofetn it is taken only tor a joyride, but the youth, if he is not caught, may very well convert other vehicles, steal petrol, steal goods from the car. and then break into a place when out in a converted car, thus starting on a life of crime that will lead to Borstal and. later, prison "By leaving their vehicles unlocked, and leaving keys in ignition switches, owners and users are unwittingly assisting youths to start on a life of crime. Moreover, many of these youths cannot drive or are bad drivers have no driving licence, and often damage care extensively in joy-riding or travelling to commit some crime,” Superintendent Urquhart said. He pointed out that section 228 of the Crime* Act (1961) provided a penalty of up to seven years’ imprisoomem for the conversion of a vehicle —and that the penalty applies to the conversion of bicycles as well. In 1962. according to the latest report of the Police Department, there were 3114 cases of conversion reported in New Zealand.