Car thefts have increased by 17.8 per cent in the past year and Neil Mitchell says we desperately need a better way to help track down stolen vehicles.

The 3AW Mornings host was shocked to find there’s no simple way to report a stolen car or check if a car is stolen.

Press PLAY below to hear Neil Mitchell’s idea to track down stolen cars 

“I’m told at the moment you contact your local council —good luck with that. You call Crime Stoppers, you call the local police — good luck with that. Or you call VicRoads, but if it’s not a VicRoads road they send you to your council … it’s a mess!,” Neil Mitchell said.

“We no longer have a stolen cars squad in the police. This system is clumsy and complex”, he said. “We need a better mechanism.”

Detective Inspector Troy Papworth, from North West Metropolitan Region Investigations and Response at Victoria Police, says Neil’s idea could work, but several factors need to be considered by police first.

He says anyone whose car is stolen should call Triple Zero and those who see a suspicious car should call the police assistance line — 131 444 — or their local police station

Press PLAY below to hear Detective Papworth’s advice to victims of car theft

Eagle-eyed teen tracks down a stolen car in seven minutes!