TRADIES’ vehicles in Dingley, Chelsea Heights, Waterways and Aspendale Gardens were robbed of tools and equipment in the early hours of Monday 7 August.
Sergeant Peter Milligan, of Kingston police, said thieves raided eight utes and trailers, stealing $23,900 in power tools, including drills, saws, ratchet guns, planers, multi-tools and gauges.
Despite a loud banging noise heard during one of the raids, no one got up to investigate, with one resident thinking it was the wind.
The tradies’ vehicles were parked in driveways as well as on streets outside their houses.
Sergeant Milligan said some of the tradies may not have realised they had been robbed until they fronted up for work that morning.
“Even though all the vehicles were locked the thieves forced their way inside to steal the items,” he said.
“We urge tradies to be vigilant and to park their vehicles out of street view behind locked gates and securely locked.
“They should take pictures of their tools and record their serial numbers and keep those serial numbers in a separate place.”
Police will make inquiries at second-hand dealers and pawn shops in the hope of recovering the tools.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 9 August 2017
