“PENALTY FOR CAR STEALING TOO LIGHT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18887, 11 October 1929, Page 9

“PENALTY FOR CAR STEALING TOO LIGHT

•RISONMENT FOR THIS OFFENCE WAS SUGGESTION MADE.

“Car stealing- is prevalent chiefly because the penalty for the offence is not severe enough,” said Mr P. R. Harman, secretary of the South Island Motor Union, when approached this morning. “Some time ago the Minister of Justice was asked to make the minimum penalty that of imprisonment, but he would not grant the request because he thought it might have an effect different from what was anticipated, in that a jury or a Magistrate might dismiss the case if they thought the offence was slight. Numerous Cases of Theft.

Speaking as manager of the South Island Motor Union Insurance Association, Mr Harman said that as many as two or three cases of car theft were reported in a wesk. The cars, generally, were recovered, but often in a damaged condition. Mr Harman mentioned the case of a motorist who pulled up outside Adams’s garage to collect something. He was only away from the car three minutes, but when he came back it had gone. The thieves had the impudence to drive to a bowser and ask for petrol on credit. They did not get the petrol, but in driving away from the bowser they ran into a telephone box, which they damaged as well as the car. Later the car was found on the beach at New Brighton. Another car the association had insured was recovered in Dunedin, where in had been run over a bank and damaged to the extent of £l5O.

Adequate Penalty. “Motorists should never forget to lock their cars, and valuable things such as spare wheels and tyres should be fastened to the car by lock and chain,” said Mr Harman. “In these thefts, which are easy to carry out and hard to detect, there should be an adequate penalty to protect motorists.” Car stealing in America wafc done in a wholesale way, he said, there being places where the cars were taken to be thoroughly disguised before being sold. Inspector’s View.

“Car stealing comes in spasms, and it has certainly been prevalent of late,” said Mr H. Macintosh, chief city motor inspector. “In America and in England it has been going on in a big way for years. It seems to be the beginning in Christchurch, of what is going on in other parts of the world.” Motorists Careless. Mr J. Sutton, a member of the Dominion Motor Company, said that most cases of car stealing were due to carelessness on the part of motorists. Nowadays most cars were fitted with an ignition lock and all closed models had locks on the doors.

“It is quite easy to get into the habit of removing the ignition key and locking the car,” said Mr Sutton, “and it might save a lot of trouble. Pillaging of accessories, of course, will go on as long as cars are made.”