West area a hotspot for these crimes
“Be awake, stay alert at all times when you see a stranger looking into houses. Most of the time criminals send people as lookouts or to act as watchdogs when nobody is at their houses”
Authorities are warning residents of an increase in vehicle theft and business break-in in the west of Pretoria over the past week.
Rekord recently reported about a hijacking of a vehicle in the parking lot of a local business.
Business owner André Barkhuizen told Rekord that his car was stolen in front of a shopping centre in less then five minutes. The criminals used a device to jam the signal of the car alarm.
Chairperson of Hercules CPF Johan van Staden, confirmed the theft.
“These hijackers are using a scanner that blocks the signal of your car’s alarm causing it not to lock. The criminals can then get access into your car.”
He said most stolen vehicles ended up being resold for car parts.
“Most of these stolen vehicles are taken to other countries like Mozambique and Botswana,” he said.
Hercules CPF vice chairperson Ricky Louw said these crimes can lead to either death or damage of properties.
Police spokesperson Constable Sibongle Vuma urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.
“You can get hurt as criminals are usually heavily armed,” Vuma explained.
Vuma gave the following tips when reporting a crime:
– When residents witness suspects stealing a motor vehicle, they can call or SMS a tip-off to my personal number on 082-822-8316.
– Give information such as the registration number of the vehicle which the suspects stole or travelled with.
– When you witness a housebreaking, call 10111 immediately and state that it is a “housebreaking in progress”. This will alert the police that this is an active matter that should be attended to as soon as possible.
– Residents can take zoomed in pictures from a distance as evidence to show that the suspects were involved at the scene of the crime.
New vehicles with low millage gets stolen the most from shopping centers in comparison to those that gets stolen from neighborhoods.
– Know where you park your car.
– Don’t park your car in the open or outside your property.
– When at a shopping center, make sure there are security .
– Don’t leave valuable goods in your vehicle because it does attract hijackers.
– If you do keep valuable items in your vehicle, keep it out of sight. Put it in the trunk.
– If you park at a shopping center, walk around your vehicle twice just to make sure everything is locked and secured.
Christo de Villiers, security official from Atlas7 said there are certain rules and regulations residents in the Hercules area can follow when they fall victim to crime.
De Villiers said every resident should at least try and get involved in WhatsApp groups where security guards are present to assist them if they have emergencies.
“Be awake, stay alert at all times when you see a stranger looking into houses. Most of the time criminals send people as lookouts or to act as watchdogs when nobody is at their houses,” he said.
De Villers told Rekord that criminals target houses using vehicles.
“Always remmber when you spot a suspicious vehicle in the area, to write down the number plate,” he said.
ATM’s can also be seen as a hotspot for criminals.
De Villers said to never allow a stranger to stand close to you when withdrawing money.
“Always stand with someone that you know and trust when withdrawing funds,” De Villers concluded.
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