Gate motor theft rife in Hercules
Association gives tips on how to secure your electric gate motor, and prevent it from being stolen.
The theft of electric gate motors is rife in the Hercules policing area. CPF chairman Conrad Naudé said two people were recently caught with gate motors believed to have been stolen.
“The police had to let the people go because there was not enough evidence against them,” said Naudé. This kind of theft usually happens at night. A member of the Hercules Gemeenskaps Veiligheids Assosiasie (HGVA), Pieter Botha, said two of this neighbours recently lost their gate motors to thieves operating at night.
“This is a huge problem in our area,” he said.
Another source said a man and woman, using a white Citi Golf, were behind the theft, but had eluded police so far. Naudé advised residents in the area to install an anti-theft bracket to secure their gate motors against theft.
Comment from the police could not be obtained before going to press.
Botha shared these tips for securing electric gate motors:
· Fit an anti-theft bracket onto the gate motor. All manufacturers of gate motors offer anti-theft brackets that can be purchased from them at a reasonable price.
· Make sure your driveway and gate are well lit at night.
· Tack-weld hold-down bolts and nuts on either side of the motor. If thieves experience difficulty removing the nuts, they will likely move on to the next gate motor.
· Newer model gate motors can be linked to home alarm systems, which will alarm the owner if the gate motor is being tampered with.
· The toothed track should be welded to the gate. If screwed to the gate, make sure it is screwed firmly and cover the screws with a steel epoxy to prevent the screws from being undone.
· Fit anti-lift brackets on either side of the gate to ensure that the gate cannot be lifted off the track.
· Lock the gate at night with a proper padlock.
· Buying stolen gate motors encourages the thieves to steal more. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
· If your electric gate motor is damaged or stolen, it is important to report it to your local police station. It is compulsory when claiming from your insurance, but it will also help the police to track criminal trends in the area.
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Also read:
Theft of gate motors on the rise
Tshwane metro aware of streetlight pole theft
Steel fencing theft rife in the west
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