In mid-April, a man was apprehended while attem­p­t­ing to break into a car at the rear of Vincent Street.

The man was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for charges of stealing and malicious damage to property and three counts of possession of stolen goods.

On March 31, a female was charged with stealing from a car in Cessnock.

She was also charged with 18 counts of fraud utilising the Paywave system.

Central Hunter crime prevention officer Senior Constable Kel Boak said the local area command has had a spate of recent theft-from-vehicle incidents.

Figures from the latest NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report indicate that there were 421 incidents of ‘steal from motor vehicle’ in Cessnock in 2014.

Snr. Constable Boak urges local residents to heed the advice of the ‘Park Smarter’ campaign, which advises car owners to:

- Remove the ignition keys, lock your doors and windows

- Take everything of value from your vehicle each time you leave it

- Avoid parking in dimly lit or isolated areas

- Remove any documents in your vehicle which identify where you live – your home might be the thieves’ next target

- Don’t hide any spare keys inside or under your vehicle – thieves know just where to look

- Engrave or mark your vehicle’s accessories with your license number.

Crime can be anonymously reported to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.