Car thieves face an increasing risk when choosing a vehicle to pinch in Melbourne, with 1000 random cars to be fitted with GPS tracking devices.
A state government-funded trial will mean police can track the whereabouts of a stolen car and officers can quickly pounce.
Owners can opt in to the trial, which activates an electronic perimeter around their car, and sends an email and text alert if it is moved.
"It is safer, smarter, more sophisticated way of dealing with vehicle theft in this state," Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill told reporters on Thursday.
"It is the way of the future. Car thieves won't know what hit them."
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Mr Hill said he expected the trackers will one day be standard equipment.
"I can see all motor cars installed with this technology in the future and I can see car theft significantly decreasing," he said.
The technology will also reduce opportunities for stolen cars to be used to commit other crimes, Police Minister Lisa Neville added.
"Many of these (stolen) cars are used in a series of crimes within minutes or hours of the theft, often before it is even reported stolen by owners," she said.
"There is real potential to stop other serious crimes, like armed robberies and drive-bys."
Mr Hill said the trial was a response to a spike in car thefts in Victoria, although data from the Crime Statistics Agency found a 12.9 per cent drop in car thefts for the year up to September.
"While the theft of cars has decreased somewhat ... it's still a higher rate than acceptable," he said.
