Business robberies rise as criminals misuse new curfew hours
“We’ve noticed that these criminals are targeting businesses because they knew personnel knocks off at around 20:00 because of the curfew.”
New curfew hours introduced last week were one of the reasons behind a recent increase in business robberies in Pretoria North, police said.
“We’ve noticed that these criminals are targeting businesses because they know personnel knocks off at around 20:00 because of the curfew,” police spokesperson Sergeant Tsakani Miyen said.
She said perpetrators of these crimes targeted businesses at around this time as they knew cash-ups for the day had to be done.
“They would enter into the establishment, take the money and leave,” Miyen said, describing the situation as getting “bad”.
Businesses, both big and small, were being targeted.
The curfew hours were adjusted last week by president Cyril Ramaphosa as he announced additional measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus as a result of the third wave.
During his national address, he said the curfew hours would now be between 21:00 and 04:00.
The area has, however, seen a drop in theft of motor vehicles, which had been a major problem in the policing precinct.
Previously, Miyen said criminals especially targeted Fiat Unos, Toyota Tazzes and Nissan NP200s almost “daily”.
At the time, she advised motorists, particularly those who drove such “high-risk” vehicles, to install gear locks, immobiliser units and steering or pedal locks.
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Vehicle-related crimes – namely, theft of and out of motor vehicles – was also a big problem in Sinoville, according to Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk.
Van Dyk advised motorists to always park their vehicles inside the property and always ensure they were locked.
Motorists were also urged to avoid driving with unnecessary valuables in their vehicles.
Additional safety tips he offered included limiting night-time trips; varying the route to and from the destination; not allowing oneself to be boxed in while driving; and always staying alert of one’s surroundings.
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