In April there were 13 incidents of theft out of motor vehicles. This has been the most common type of crime over the past year, particularly in the De Waterkant and Green Point areas. To reduce your risk of falling victim to theft out of your motor vehicle, please consider the following preventative measures:
- Keep all windows and sunroofs closed and ensure the doors are locked. In many cases, theft occurs when a car has been left unlocked.
- Take your identification documents and other valuables with you. Smash-and-grab thieves tend to act on impulse. They may watch you as you stow away your valuable items, taking note of what you leave behind. Your car is likely to become a target if they see you stow away your wallet, so hide your valuables before you arrive at your destination.
- Don’t depend on your car’s alarm system. Alarms can be effective in drawing attention, but they don’t necessarily prevent break-ins if an opportunity is identified. In fact, many alarm systems will not be triggered by a shattered window.
- Trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy about where you’ve parked, or you witness suspicious activity, move your vehicle to another spot.
There were 4 incidents of common theft such as the theft of cell phones and a shoplifting incident. We are happy to see a decrease in these incidents when compared to the past 6 months.
Our patrollers took a number of proactive and preventative actions in April. In total, they guarded 10 doors, windows and garage doors found left open. We urge you to double-check that your home, office or retail space is secured when you leave. There is a lot of opportunistic crime at the moment and open doors offer an opportunity to criminals on the lookout for easy access to buildings.
Our team also assisted with 14 municipal service requests, including logging service reports for 3 potholes and 7 burst water pipes. When a pipe bursts thousands of litres of water are lost before anyone reports the issue to the city. Thank you for helping to prevent unnecessary water wastage!
Remember to keep our 24/7 patrol vehicle numbers on hand for assistance, and don’t hesitate to contact them if you ever feel at-risk:
GP CID PATROL VEHICLE
082 214 3228
OK CID PATROL VEHICLE
082 217 1386