Theft prevention starts before you even leave your vehicle. This was evident in a few circulating videos that clearly show how criminals capitalise on unsuspecting victims caught with their guard down.
The video shows a thief holding the door open as the unsuspecting driver gets out of the vehicle and walks away, thinking the car doors are locked.
Watch here:
The thief rummages inside the vehicle for less than a minute before making off with his ill-gotten gains.
The Honeydew Community Policing Forum (CPF) has received a few similar videos and urge the community to be vigilant when parking and leaving their vehicle.
Some safety tips from the Honeydew CPF:
• Take note that when you park your car, don’t just click a button and walk away. Make sure that your car is locked by checking your doors.
• Remember that just because you pressed the ‘lock’ button on your car’s remote does not mean that your car is actually locked.
Some cars also ‘lock’ or appear locked even though a door has been left slightly open.
Moral of the story: check that all doors on your car are properly closed and locked before moving away from your car.
• Some cars will make a locking sound but their hazard lights will not flash until every door is closed (certain newer VW Golfs).
• Other cars simply won’t lock at all or their door locks will make a lock sound but immediately afterwards make an unlock sound (certain Peugeots).
Or they will make a sound with the alarm or the hooter to indicate that a door has been left open (some Toyota Fortuners).
• Check to see what your car does by locking the car while a door or the boot is open, and become familiar with it so that you know what to look out for when locking your car.
