Garda appeal as thieves target cars in Portarlington and Portlaoise

Cars were targeted by thieves in Portarlington and Portlaoise at the weekend. 

Gardaí said a car had two side fly windows broken at Kilnacourt Woods in Portarlington between 9pm on Friday, January 30 and 9am on Saturday, January 31. A second car was damaged at 2.10am at Manor Hill, Portarlington on Sunday, February 1. On that occasion a group of males approached the car and smashed a window. Nothing was taken from either car. 

Elsewhere, items were stolen from a car on Church Street in Portlaoise on the morning Monday, February 2. A woman returned to her car to discover the items missing. No damage was caused to the car.

Gardaí are appealing to anyone with information or to anybody who may have witnessed anything suspicious or have CCTV or dashcam footage relating to any of the incidents to contact Portlaoise Garda Station on 057 867 4100.  

Gardaí issued advice online to car owners following the incidents in Portarlington at the weekend. 

“Over the past number of nights, Gardaí have received reports of a small number of vehicles being targeted for theft or damage in the Portarlington area. Some of the vehicles involved are commonly referred to as Japanese imports,” Gardaí said. 

Many Japanese imports do not have immobilisers when they are brought into the country and they have become a target for joyriders. Gardai urged people to take precautions against such thefts. 

“While incidents remain limited, we are asking vehicle owners to take a few practical preventative steps to reduce risk:

Always lock your vehicle and double-check it is secure. Remove keys, keyless fobs and valuables from the vehicle. Where possible, park in a well-lit area or off-street. Consider using a steering wheel lock or immobiliser. Ensure any alarm system is activated. If you have CCTV, check it is operational and correctly positioned,” Gardaí said. 

They reminded people that criminals often look for the easiest opportunity, so even small security measures can make a real difference.

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Anyone who notices suspicious activity or has any information is asked to please contact Portlaoise Garda Station  on 057 867 4100 or your local Garda station. In an emergency, dial 112 or 999.

“We will continue to patrol the area and engage with the community as part of our ongoing crime prevention work. Community awareness and simple actions remain our strongest deterrents,” Gardaí said.