The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, MAY 19th, 1939. WHY NOT CALL IT "THEFT"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 13, 19 May 1939, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, MAY 19th, 1939. WHY NOT CALL IT "THEFT"

Many crocodile tears are being shed over the problem of mot-or-car conversions, whioh are; rapidly becoming an intolerable <nuTsance and a source of great loss to owners. Much of the blame is even better cast upon owners for failing tb take sufficient care by locking their vehicles, but should thait be: -necessary in a civilised community? Here are grown men as well as boys receiving sympathy when they have driven away, and perhaps wrecked, other peoples cars because the owners did not take the precaution to put their property under lock and keyWhat decent-minded man or boy deserving of public sympathy would dream of stealing other people's cars? Yet that sympathy is beirio- extended by the State, which refuses to regard "conversion" as plain sordid theft. It may not always be the intention of the "converters' , to appropriate the cars permanently, but they are at least definitely guilty of steal/ing the petrol they use and the depreciation and damage they inflict upon the vehicles. Similar action with regard, tb other property is punishable as theft why should motor-cars be placed under a different category? The policy adopted in the past has failed to check the nuisance and clearly a different approach is necessary if private property is to be protected as it should be. It is true that penalties have been made a little more severe for such offences, but it is still evident that the peculiar mind which is predisposed to crimes of the kind has not yet been sufficiently impressed with the seriousness of the position. The Minister for Justice states that in January there were 38 convictions for car conversions and in 36 of those cases the cars were left unlocked. In only 16 of the 38 cases were the offenders under the age of 2.1. Eighteen of those convicted were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. In February the number of convictions increased to 46, and 30 of the offenders were under 21. In 33 instances the cars were left unlocked. It is a grave reflection on the youth and the manhood of New Zealand that unlocked property can(not with safety be left on the public streets,, and jjt is high time that the Government removed that reproach by driving home the lesson where permission has failed-