Hawke's Bay police are reminding tradespeople to secure their tools, after 30 thefts from vehicles in the region in three months.
Tools on a building site. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Senior Constable Pehi Potaka said tradies and DIY enthusiasts should also label their tools so that if they were stolen police could return them to their owners.
Most tools that police recovered did not have names and serial numbers had not been recorded, Potaka said.
Police investigated stolen property, however, owners should do their part, he said.
"If your tools can't be identified, we can't get them back to you and we can't hold the offenders responsible."
Potaka said police recognised that the theft of tools could hit someone's livelihood.
"This type of offending results in financial hardship being placed on individuals and insurance premiums can be high. If your tools are your livelihood, we strongly encourage you to look after them."
Tradies were being urged to take care where they parked their vehicles and remove their tools if possible.
If a vehicle can't be parked in a secure garage, police provided some tips to deter thieves:
- Always lock your vehicle and leave windows up
- Park in well-lit areas when possible
- Always lock any lock-boxes with reliable/ solid locks when you leave your vehicle and take your keys with you, especially for utility vehicles with hard or soft canopies on the rear
- In addition to the hard canopies on utes and vans, there should be an alarm in the back, where the tools are stored
- Any boats, trailers or vehicles containing tools on a property should be disabled so they can't be moved or towed away