Residents across Pretoria east are being urged to better secure outdoor property as opportunistic thefts continue rising, with solar lights, electrical cables and garden equipment among the items most frequently targeted by criminals.

According to the Garsfontein Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson and Alpha Security Forum (ASF) founding director Aris Ruyter, the trend is becoming more widespread across Pretoria east and is no longer limited to isolated incidents.

“We are seeing an increase in opportunistic thefts across parts of Pretoria east. These incidents usually involve items that are visible from the street, easy to access or not properly secured,” said Ruyter.

He said the thefts involve a range of outdoor items, including solar lights, hard-wired lights, electrical cables, house numbers, gate-related items, loose metal, extension leads and garden tools.

Ruyter noted that solar lights and floodlights have become particularly attractive to criminals as more residents install them in response to poor streetlighting in some suburbs.

The incidents are not confined to a single suburb but are more common in areas where streets are poorly lit, properties are exposed, and lights can easily be reached from pavements or boundary walls.

Ruyter believes poor lighting, combined with easily accessible valuables, is driving the increase in thefts.

“If an item is visible, unsecured and easy to remove, it becomes a target,” he said.

While many of the thefts occur late at night or during the early hours of the morning, Ruyter said thefts are also being reported during the day, including while residents are at home.

“The common pattern is opportunity. Criminals move through an area, identify an item they can reach or remove quickly, and act when they think they are not being watched.”

He advised residents to install solar lights as high as possible using secure brackets and tamper-resistant screws, while ensuring ladders, bins and other climbable objects are not left near boundary walls.

Outdoor tools, ladders, cables and other valuable equipment should also be locked away and not left unattended.

Ruyter encouraged residents to photograph valuable outdoor items, retain proof of purchase where possible and mark belongings to assist with identification if recovered.

He also expressed concern that many thefts go unreported because residents regard them as minor crimes.

“Not all incidents are reported. Many residents see these crimes as too small to report, especially where the value of the stolen item is low. This creates a problem because the official crime picture then does not reflect what residents are experiencing.”

Ruyter said that the ASF continues to work with SAPS, private security companies, CPF structures and community safety groups through information-sharing, visibility patrols and hotspot identification.

He added that community involvement remains one of the most effective crime prevention tools.

“The biggest message is that residents need to start talking to their neighbours again. High walls alone will not keep a suburb safe. A community that communicates, reports and works together is far harder to target.”

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