Akasia police warn against latest crime trends

Police in the Akasia policing precinct warned residents in and around the area about some of the latest crimes which were trending on Thursday.

“We want community members to take charge in helping us win the fight against crime,” police spokesperson Constable Lindiwe Mabasa said.

She said a recurring crime in the area was related to truck-hijacking incidents.

Mabasa explained that hired trucks, predominantly from the west of Pretoria, were called into the Rosslyn area and the drivers were subsequently hijacked.

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“We also want motorists to be vigilant when driving on the M20 and R566 (Brits Road). This is where most hijackings occur,” she said.

Drivers of e-hailing cabs such as Uber and Bolt were also urged to be vigilant when they rendered their services as some had fallen victim to criminals who posed as clients.

“We noticed that these drivers have fallen prey to criminals who see an opportunity to hijack them,” Mabasa said.

She warned taxi commuters to be cautious when they boarded taxis as there was a white Toyota Quantum that was terrorising them.

“People in the minibus taxi rob them of their cellphones, laptops, money, and other belongings,” Mabasa said.

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She further called on anyone who had information about the vehicle to report it at the police station, and directly to the station commander if they preferred to remain anonymous.

Residents were also given pointers on what they could do to avoid falling victim to crime in public spaces.

Mabasa said they should refrain from practices such as putting their cellphones in their back pockets when in shopping malls and other public spaces; going to WiFi hotspot areas, and hanging out there for extended periods, particularly at night; and also going out alone at night.

“These are unconscious actions that may encourage criminality,” she said.

However, to curb the criminality, Mabasa said they had since engaged with the Tshwane task team which planned and executed operations that were aimed at crime hotspots.

“When on holiday or going out of town, community members are urged to leave someone to guard their homes to help minimise the number of house break-ins that normally occur when people are away from their homes,” she said.

Mabasa said they were pleading with the community for their full co-operation by being their eyes and ears by reporting any criminality that occurred.

“They are also encouraged to make use of the Crime Stop number 08600 10111 or contact the Akasia police station on 012 564 0700 should they need to report any criminality that happens within the policing precinct,” she said.

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