Victoria Police warns of widespread car thefts targeting gym parking lots

Victoria Police disclosed that 250 cars vanished from gym parking areas in Melbourne's south-east over a six-month span from November 2025 to April, with more than half of the losses concentrated in Greater Dandenong, Casey and Cardinia. Children as young as 13 have been arrested for these crimes, often gaining access by tailgating members and pilfering keys from unattended lockers or open storage cubes. Notable cases include a boy who stole a vehicle at Glen Iris and returned two days later for another, and four teenage girls, one aged 13, who removed two sets of keys in Clyde North, with three still at large.

A 15-year-old was charged after a stolen ute was used as a getaway vehicle following a suspicious factory fire at a Burwood gym. Two 14-year-old girls were injured, one critically, in a crash involving a stolen car from a Chadstone gym. Acting Senior Sergeant Benita Pringle emphasized that most thefts are preventable and urged gym users to secure items, avoid tailgating, and park in illuminated, CCTV-monitored spots, while police continue to work with fitness centres to harden security and hold offenders accountable.