http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21640296-5007132,00.html
Motorists told to lock doors
THE State's top robbery investigator has issued a chilling warning to all Sydney residents: don't drive in any suburb without locking the doors, day or night.
Detective Superintendent Peter Cotter, head of the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad, believes the drastic course of action is necessary because violent carjackings are spiralling out of control.
There have been 101 carjackings in Sydney in the past year, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics, including eight serious attacks in the last six weeks.
In one incident a motorist driving an Audi in Greenacre was shot and seriously wounded when he tried to escape would-be thieves.
Supt Cotter told The Sunday Telegraph that Sydney motorists needed to take every precaution.
"Motorists are urged to lock their car doors while driving during the day and night and to be aware of other vehicles around them,'' he said.
"We recommend everyone drive with the doors locked.''
Supt Cotter said his squad was investigating a number of recent incidents.
Twelve days ago, two attackers forced a woman to hand over the keys to the Porsche that she was driving in Northbridge. In another incident a doctor was locked in the boot of his BMW by carjackers, escaping moments before his car burst into flames in Linley Point.
Some of the stolen vehicles are being used in robberies while others are being "re-birthed'' and sold interstate.
And it appears some motorists are being "stalked''.
Just before midnight on April 20, a 25 year-old man driving a black Mazda 323in Fairfield West pulled over to make a phone call.
Within moments, two men approached the driver and told him to get out of the car.
According to police, when the driver hesitated, one of the men pulled a black handgun and fired a shot in the air.
Figures show there were 21 carjackings in Canterbury- Bankstown last year, another 20 in western Sydney and 13 in both Fairfield-Liverpool and inner Sydney.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics says the numbers may be understated because of the way they are reported.
The crime has become more common in recent years partly because improved car security has made it much harder to break in and start late model vehicles.
"With a lot of cars nowadays, they need the keys,'' said one detective. But carjack victim Sam Mileto said he did not believe that locking doors would stop thieves.
He was held at gunpoint after he drove his $50,000 Suburu WRX into the driveway of his Prestons home.
"As I got out someone said, 'Get down,','' Mr Mileto said.
"I thought it was a joke and said, 'P... off,'. Then I saw this guy with a pistol.
"The other two blokes, one had a shotgun and one had a rifle, I was terrified.
"Who knows how many nights they had been stalking me? You can drive with the doors locked but if they want the car, if they want to hijack you, they will.''
He said the car had been recovered because it had a tracking device but it had been seriously damaged.
Now he drove around in a "$2500 bomb'' to avoid anything similar happening. Supt Cotter said if anyone suspected they were being followed they should phone 000, or drive to the nearest police station or head intoa well-lit area such as a service station.
"As with any robbery, if you are confronted by a person carrying a weapon or making threats you should always comply with that persons request,'' he said.
"Life is more important than material possessions.''
Recently my GF was driving her car around at 7:30pm, was at busy intersection at the traffic lights, doors locked. Then some $^%###^# reached into window gap of about 5cm, literally ripped the friggin window out, snatched her bag and bolted.
She was unhurt but in a bit of shock, later when I arrived to the scene, I hear that another case with guy of a similar description just occured over the police radio but this time the victim was assulated.
Talking to some of my other friends they have also encountered similar experience, which is really scarey how common this type of crime actually is...
Peoples - Drive defensively and Lock your doors and Close your windows, Be safe.
