Terang police are after public assistance to find a maroon 2010 Ford Territory stolen from a quiet street overnight Thursday.
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Sergeant Danny Brown said the owner of the vehicle - with registration plate number 1LX-6YK - desperately needed the vehicle to provide daycare.
"The vehicle has been stolen from the very quiet Cobham Street sometime overnight Thursday but no one living nearby has heard or seen anything," he said.
"We are very keen to find that maroon Ford Territory for the owner so she can continue her valuable community work."
Sergeant Brown said that unfortunately the owner left the keys in the vehicle, making it extremely easy to steal.
"She's one of our over trusting beautiful community members, but the message to everyone is lock your vehicles and make sure you put away valuables.
"These are crime of opportunity and removing the opportunities goes a long way to preventing such crime.
"It's 2020 not 1985 and people even in smaller communities will steal items of value if presented an opportunity."
Terang police, backed by uniform officers from Camperdown and the Warrnambool-based highway patrol unit, also conducted Operation Infractus on Thursday night.
Sergeant Brown said the traffic operation involved blocking off High Street to traffic both ways.
"We kicked off at 4pm through until 10pm. The operation was in two parts - blocking the highway and then roving patrols in Terang and across the surrounding district," he said.
"There were 325 alcohol preliminary breath tests conducted and six drivers oral fluid drug tested, with one positive result for drugs.
"In total we issued 17 penalty notices for offences, including driving an unregistered vehicle, heavy vehicle work diary breaches, minor speeding offences, failing to wear seat belts and vehicle defect notices."
The Terang police sergeant said officers involved also checked drivers for COVID-19 restriction breaches.
"We found there were still a surprising amount of sales people still on the roads, but everyone was compliant and no breaches were detected," he said.
Police request that anyone who sees the maroon Ford Territory contact the Terang police station on 5592 1058 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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