Police have confirmed receiving multiple reports of vehicle thefts and damage at Westfield Riccarton this year, with investigations continuing into the latest incidents.

It follows concerns raised by shopping centre workers who told chrislynchmedia.com their vehicles were being stolen, broken into and vandalised while parked at work.

Christchurch Metro Area Prevention Manager Inspector Glenda Barnaby said police sometimes saw clusters of offending over relatively short periods.

“Often the people committing these offences are working in tandem, or are part of a bigger problem when it comes to related incidents across the city.

“We generally see an increase in these incidents occurring, then when offenders are apprehended, the number of incidents reported drops again in the near future.”

Three Westfield Riccarton workers contacted chrislynchmedia.com raising concerns about security in the secluded upper level staff car park.

They claimed about five vehicles had been stolen over one fortnight, while others had been damaged during attempted thefts.

One worker said police responding to a stolen vehicle last Thursday discovered another car was also missing. Staff also reported vehicles being rammed, broken into and vandalised in recent months.

Workers said they had repeatedly raised concerns with mall management but were still expected to park in the same isolated area, despite paying $5 a day.

They also claimed requests for a dedicated security guard had been dismissed as unrealistic.

Barnaby said reporting incidents promptly was important to help police identify problem areas and respond accordingly.

“Police are urging timely reporting of any incidents of this nature, so police staff deployment can take into consideration any areas where we see an increase in reported crime from time to time.”

“Anybody who witnesses suspicious or illegal activity around vehicles is urged to contact police, with as much information as you can safely gather, including descriptions of people, registrations and any video if possible.”

Police recommended motorists remove valuables from their vehicles, ensure doors were locked and consider additional security measures, including steering wheel locks, immobilisers and alarms.

Riccarton ward councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt expressed concern about the incidents, revealing his own wife’s car had been stolen from the shopping centre more than ten years ago.

He said Westfield management had made security improvements over the years but believed more needed to be done to address workers’ concerns.

“There is always room for improvement and hopefully they address the concerns quickly, they need to ensure staff concerns are being listened to and actioned.”

Westfield Riccarton was approached for comment on the workers’ allegations but did not respond.

Police are asking anyone witnessing a crime in progress to call 111, or report incidents that have already occurred through 105.