DESPITE reports of three hijackings in the Berea area over the past two weeks, and fears that the crime and that of theft of motor vehicles appear to be on the rise, Berea SAPS this week claimed that it had no knowledge of the hijacking incidents.
Grant Smith from the Montpelier Road Project told Berea Mail that reports filed show there has been an increase in hijacking and theft of motor vehicles, with three hijackings having occurred in the past two weeks.
Smith said the first incident occurred near the intersection of Madeline and Gordon Roads in Morningside.
Jarrod Evans from the Florida Road UIP confirmed the incident saying a driver had reported that he had been tailed as he drove into the area.
“The driver was approached while parking his vehicle. The hijackers fired a couple of shots into the air and a nearby car monitor witnessed the incident, and immediately reported the matter to our UIP security vehicle,” he said.
The vehicle was taken, and Evans believed it was later recovered.
“There has been an increase in vehicle related thefts within the last month, and the recent ones both involved the theft of BMWs. We have discussed these concerns with law enforcement and our security provider and are looking at ways to combat the matter,” said Evans.
In a second incident on Saturday 16 April, Smith said a woman parked her car at the intersection of Gordon and Florida Roads in the late evening.
“Two men held her up at gunpoint. When her husband approached, they pointed the gun at him and told him to stay away. They fled in the woman's vehicle. Our stats show that this is a particularly bad intersection at the moment,” he said.
Smith reported that on Sunday 17 April, a man parked his vehicle outside his parents' house in Trematon drive at 5.30pm, and was taking shopping bags out of his car when he was approached by two neatly dressed men.
“They came up behind him, pointed a gun at him and told him to lie on the ground. They took his car keys and cellphone, and made off in the vehicle,” he said.
A Morningside community WhatsApp group also reported an attempted hijacking on 6 April at 4.20pm in 9th Avenue, Morningside.
Smith said the incidents happened especially on weekends, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, and urged motorists to be vigilant and to always take note of who was walking in the street.
“Report strange behaviour to the police or your security company. Do not leave valuables lying in plain sight in your car and don't lock items in the boot once you've parked,” he said.
However, when approached for comment, Lt Poobalan Naidoo, communications officer for Berea SAPS, said he was only aware of one reported hijacking in Currie Road last Friday night. He had no knowledge of the other incidents.
“We have the odd hijacking here and there, but I think this has been blown out of proportion. We don't usually get hijackings in a hurry in the area. We have noticed theft of and out of motor vehicles is on the increase, and urge people to be vigilant. We are trying as much as possible to get more members on the streets,” he said.
