Former car thief shares top safety tips

Residents of the city are finding their motor vehicles broken into more frequently of late, which is usually the case in the months preceding the festive season.

Annamie Keith, is one such resident, who says she was away from her vehicle for only a few minutes. “When I returned, it was to find my car had been broken into. The lock was broken and my radio had been stolen, yet no one saw anything,” she said.

While the police and security companies do give good advice on how to prevent such incidents, Review went one step further and spoke to a former car thief on condition of anonymity. He had some very interesting advice. Our informant said car theft could be prevented in many cases if residents just took the time to be more vigilant and less careless. “It takes about 20 seconds to break into a car and be gone. We know the police will take a while to get to the scene. In Polokwane the police take quite long to respond and we are usually long gone before they are even on their way,” he said.

He said knowing how a thief operates could go a long way in enabling car owners to secure their vehicles:

• When stopping where there are car guards, make sure they are actually looking after the car and are not distracted.

• Remove stereo faceplates and put them in the glove compartment or take them with. There is no market for a radio without a faceplate.

• Any type of gear lock or steering lock will make a thief think twice.

• Lock all car doors at all times and do not leave windows even slightly open as this is an open invitation.

• Having a car alarm helps with creating noise but if the car’s lights flash at the same time, this will discourage a car thief even more.

• Hood ornaments are usually easy money and it is best to drive a car that does not have one.

• Put all valuable items in the boot.

• Jeeps and cabriolets with canvas/soft tops are an easy target.

• Many thieves will break into a car just for a jacket, small change or a GPS because quick cash is the name of their game.

• Cars parked on streets with no or bad lighting are favourite targets.

• Spare tyres left in plain sight that are not well secured (such as with a lock and chain) are popular.

Review also spoke to car guards at malls in the city.

According to them, most break-ins occurred in poorly lit areas, as well as areas far away from, or where there were no car guards.

Speaking on behalf of a security company, Johan Gerber said residents could protect themselves better if they followed some basic tips such as never leaving their cars’ engines running while unattended, and always parking their cars in a garage or behind a locked gate.

Having a car alarm is a must; although this will not necessarily catch a thief it will call attention to the vehicle, discouraging a would-be thief, Gerber said.

He added that a vehicle should also have a tracking system installed.

Provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronél Otto agreed that prevention was better than cure.

She confirmed that theft from motor vehicles was a huge challenge in the city. She agreed that many such thefts were due to negligence of the vehicle owner by leaving valuable items in plain view in their vehicles.

“If you have to leave something like a laptop in a vehicle do so by placing it in the car’s boot where it is out of sight. Do not created an opportunity for yourself to become a victim,” she advised.

Otto said police visibility would be stepped up during the countdown to the festive season and the number of plainclothes police officials in busy areas would also be increased.