Car theft is front-of-mind for Logan residents following two weeks of troubling headlines.
But solutions to the theft epidemic are emerging, with the police last week announcing a stolen vehicle portal where suspicious activity can be reported, and stolen cars tracked.
Recent reports have shown youths as young as 13 are behind the car theft surge.
Last week, police released helicopter footage of three teens who had become stuck on the M1 after fumbling a U-turn in a stolen car.
Two Eagleby teens aged 13 and 14, and a third Gold Coast teen were apprehended after a short-lived chase and slapped with over 20 charges.
This bust was made by Taskforce Guardian – a state-wide operation targeting youth crime.
Over a nine-day period in Logan this January, officers from the taskforce arrested 15 young people on over 60 offences.
“I want to commend the collaborative effort of the Taskforce, Logan police and POLAIR for swiftly responding, and together ensuring the safety of the community as the three occupants were taken into custody,” Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis said.
“The Taskforce is a valuable tool in reinforcing our response to youth crime, and it is reassuring that they can be utilised state-wide as needs arise.
“We thank the community for continuing to provide us information that informs investigations, and we look forward to continuing to work around the clock to support community safety.”
Meanwhile, a secret stash of stolen vehicles was found at an 11-acre property in Logan Village,
POLAIR discovered the six vehicles, including three utes, a car, a van and a motorbike, on a Camp Cable Road property.
Logan District Crime Group Detective Inspector Chris Knight said the address was known to police, and five people were charged in relation to the vehicles.
Police couldn’t say whether the offenders had intended to sell the vehicles, but confirmed investigations were ongoing.
“Those vehicles were stolen between 5 October through to very recently, and stolen as broadly as New South Wales,” Mr Knight said.
“The nature of that offending is obviously concerning and certainly protracted.
“When you’ve got that degree of offending history will tell us that neighbours and local people will see activity that raises eyebrows, and that’s the stuff we want you to report.”
He said the community already played a crucial role in tracking down car thieves.
“We rely on, and we are very engaged with the Logan community who are very forthcoming, and we welcome them to keep coming forward,” Mr Knight said.
The online stolen vehicle portal provides the community with unique access to the latest information on active stolen vehicles from across the state.
It allows the public to report location information to police, and receive information about stolen vehicles, including the make, model, colour, registration number and suburb from which it was stolen.
Updated daily, the portal also has a search function that enables anyone to search a vehicle’s registration to confirm whether it has been stolen.
The portal can be accessed at police.qld.gov.au/stolen-vehicles.
