Queenstown police are urging people to be vigilant in securing their vehicles and building sites after an increase in thefts and burglaries.
On Friday the Otago Daily Times reported occupants of a vehicle parked at a "commercial premises" in Gibbston returned about 3.30pm on Wednesday to find a small rear window had been broken and a handbag containing $100 of "tourist trinkets" stolen.
Senior Sergeant Paula Enoka, of Queenstown, said there had been an increase in thefts from cars in the Wakatipu recently and encouraged people to secure their vehicles and either take their valuables with them or "keep them out of the line of sight".
She also encouraged construction companies to secure their sites after a series of burglaries from building sites in Glenorchy. Police received a complaint from the owner of some building material that had been stolen and during the course of that conversation discovered there had been several other similar thefts in the township over the past six weeks that had not been reported.
Items stolen had included roofing panels, nails, building paper and cedar cladding.
"Just be aware there could be opportunists coming in."
