TYRE THEFTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25881, 27 June 1945, Page 4

TYRE THEFTS

FRESH OUTBREAK IN AUCKLAND CARS STOLEN AND ABANDONED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 26. After a lull of several months thefts of wheels and tyres from motor cars have been occurring in Auckland lately with alarming regularity. For the past three months an average of about four cars each week have had the attention of tyre thieves. Generally, the vehicles have been converted and abandoned in outlying suburbs beyond the normal reach of the regular police night patrols. During last year the theft of tyres from cars reached almost epidemic proportions, and then for many months the offences practically ceased. They have now recurred with such frequency that they are again occupying a considerable amount of time in police investigation work. The thieves whp were active last year made a practice of stripping the cars of all the wheels, but lately there has seldom been a case where more than one wheel has been stolen. The offence ’s not confined to any particular part of Auckland. Wherever, the culprits find a car which is moveable they take it to some out-of-the-way street and remove a wheel placing it in their own car, possibly another converted vehicle. Often if the locality is suitable they do not find it necessary to drive the car away, but remove the wheels on the spot.