Car theft spike in Welties

Vehicle thefts and thefts out of vehicles are on the rise in Weltevreden Park.

Honeydew police’s Sergeant Mamasedi May, who is attached to the police’s Crime Information Analysis Centre (CIMAC) unit, stated this during her presentation to residents at a community engagement meeting facilitated by Sector Two of the Honeydew CPF on June 26.

“Most of these incidents occur at shopping centres and petrol stations,” says May, who adds that in many cases, criminals use jamming devices to gain access to the vehicles.

Car remote jammers can be as simple as a remote control that disrupts the signal when one locks the car is locked.

May urged residents to make sure their vehicles are properly locked before walking away, and to avoid leaving valuables like laptops in their cars.

May noted that housebreaking in sector two has subsided for the time being, but cautioned that residents should remain vigilant.

She added that gate motor theft is high throughout the Honeydew policing precinct.

Reacting to a question from the floor regarding gate remote jamming, Honeydew police’s operational commander, Lt Col Andrè Lamprecht, said only one incident had occurred in the sector thus far.

“We received a complaint that suspects gained access to a complex, where they not only jammed the gate motor, but were also jamming cars inside the complex. Luckily, this was an isolated incident.”

May added that hijackings and kidnappings during hijackings, as well as street robberies of domestic workers and garden workers, are also a growing concern in the area.