A CASUARINA man who had his house broken into and his car stolen has praised police for the heartfelt work they did helping his traumatised children.

Geoff Kemp woke up early on Friday morning to find his 2009 V8 Commodore missing from his garage at Sailfish Way.

His two young children Damien and Wednesday were sleeping in the next room and had been woken by the screeching of tyres and roar of the V8 engine as it skidded out onto the street and sped off.

Police were called but the damage had been done, his children were left terrified and unable to sleep for the next three nights.

But a touching few moments spent with Detective Sergeant Matthew Woods at the Tweed Police Station on Monday left the kids "sleeping like babies”.

"The detective grabbed the kids, gave them a balloon and showed them where the bad guys would be locked up and told them they were safe and had nothing to worry about,” Mr Kemp said.

"He went way over and beyond what he needed to do, he was really busy but had all the time in the world for them, he even gave them a teddy bear, it was quite touching.

"Police don't get recognised enough for the little things they do like that which make a big difference, the kids were really quite traumatised but a few minutes with him and they were fine.”

Detective Sergeant Matthew Woods said being a parent himself, he knew the anxiety the children would be going through.

"I just wanted to reassure them that the police are here to protect the community and know they can feel safe in their own home, which they should be and is everyone's right,” he said.

Tweed Police superintendant Wayne Starling said Detective Sergeant Matthew Woods was only a new addition to the team but was already making a big impact.

"He's only just arrived recently but by all reports he's not only an exceptional detective and leader, but also an exceptional human being.”

It wasn't such a happy ending for Mr Kemp's car though, which was discovered smashed up in Southport on Monday night.

He said while the car was replaceable, the thieves don't realise the impact their crimes had on others.

"That's the other side of it, these blokes that steal cars don't understand the trauma they cause to those living there,” he said.

But thanks to the kindness of one police officer, his two children are now sleeping soundly, with little Wednesday telling the story of Detective Matt and her new police teddy bear at class Show and Tell on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sup Starling has warned Casuarina residents to remain vigilant after a spate of car thefts in the area.

"A large number of motor vehicles have keys left in them which has resulted in the vehicles being stolen, people need to remember whilst we are in the country, we're really a metropolitan command of the Gold Coast, and as a result criminals will cross that border to commit offences.”