Vehicle theft remained high in the east of Pretoria, police said this week.
According to police spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach hotspots changed weekly and monthly as vehicle-related crimes were scattered.
“Hatfield, Brooklyn, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Waterkloof and Menlopark are car thieves’ favourite areas to operate at the moment.
“Car hijackings do not happen often, smash and grabs have reduced and are not that high anymore as hotspots change.”
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She said police had identified five streets most targeted by car thieves in the east of Pretoria; Fehrsen, Burnett, Lynnwood, Jochemus and Atterbury.
She said criminals had set their sights on certain car makes, notably Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford.
“The five top most wanted vehicles by thieves remain VW Polo, Toyota Etios, Ford Ranger, Mazda bakkies and Mazda 323 sedans.
“Most vehicles are still stolen in broad daylight on Fridays and vehicles parked on pavements in front of houses and flats are always targeted.”
Weilbach said other target areas were churches, school sporting events, pubs, guest houses, food markets and around the University of Pretoria.”
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Weilbach advised motorists to park inside yards when possible or to make use of secured parking areas.
“It is recommended that University of Pretoria students try to make use of the free park-and-ride facilities that are available at the sport grounds,” she said.
“This is a much safer option if parking cannot be found on campus itself.”
She said most vehicles were stolen from pavements where there was no visible security.
“It takes only about five to seven minutes to steal a vehicle. Shoppers should rather pay for safe parking where there is security, CCTV cameras and is well-lit,” said Weilbach.
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