Bekkersdal Police have appealed to people to install better security systems after several vehicles were reported stolen in Simunye recently.

Police said in the cases reported, thugs either behaved violently towards their victims whose vehicles they stole, or stole the vehicles while they were not parked inside yards.

In many cases victims had poor security measure in place.

Lefakane went on to explain that many owners fall victim to vehicle theft because their vehicles are accessible even when parked inside yards.

Thieves cut open padlocks to gain entry into the yards and push out the vehicles quietly,” Lefakane added.

Alluding to one of the recent cases, Lefakane said another victims lost his vehicle after leaving its engine still running when he went into a friend’s house.

“When he got back, the car was gone.”

Lefakane added that all kinds of makes and models, including trailers were being targeted.

We’re appealing to the community to increase their security measures within their properties and on their vehicles to ward off these thugs,” Lefakane said.

Lefakane gave the following tips on how to prevent vehicle theft:

• Install good alarm or anti-theft devices on your vehicle.
• Avoid leaving your vehicle unattended.
• Ensure that all the vehicle’s doors and windows are locked and haven’t been tampered with.
• Always make sure that all gates are locked.
• Secure the perimeters of your property.
• Avoid driving at night, or limit your trips at night as far as possible.