POTCHEFSTROOM -Theft of motor vehicle is one of the problematic crimes particularly in the clusters of Rustenburg and Brits. As a result, police in the province would like to urge and sensitise motorists and the public to safeguard their vehicles.
It has been noted with concern that most of the theft of motor vehicle cases are reported in the policing areas of Brits, Rustenburg, Tlhabane, Boitekong and Hartbeespoortdam. Furthermore, the investigation has revealed that Toyota and Ford Bakkies are targeted and are stolen mostly during the night at parking lots and residences.
In one of the cases in Tlhabane, the owner of a white Toyota Hilux allegedly parked his vehicle at his house in Geelhoutpark on Tuesday, 01 October 2019 at about 19:00. He discovered the following morning at about 04:00 on his way out to work that his vehicle was stolen.
In another unrelated incident in Boitekong, it is alleged that the owner of a white Nissan NP 200, locked and parked it at his place at Extension 3, Paardekraal at about 17:50 on Thursday, 03 October 2019. He also discovered the next morning at approximately 05:35 that his vehicle was stolen.
Motorists are therefore urged to work together with the police through structures such as Community Police Forum (CPF) to bring down the level of this crime among others by applying the following safety tips as part of preventative measures:
• Exercise caution at parking areas and report unknown and suspicious persons or motor vehicles to the police.
• Avoid leaving or parking vehicles for a long time in areas or streets that are not well lit.
• Ensure that all vehicles and motorbikes are locked and safely parked inside the premises.
• Do not leave valuables in plain sight.
• If your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, backing into your driveway will also make it more difficult for a thief to tow it away.
• Garage your vehicle if you have one and always remember to lock the garage door.
• Do not leave the registration or title in your vehicle.
• Always use your emergency brake when parking, which ensures safety and also makes it difficult for a thief to tow your vehicle away.
• Etch your vehicle’s identification number on car windows and major parts. This procedure makes vehicles and parts more easily traceable when stolen or makes use of the latest data dot technology.
• Disable your vehicle when leaving it unattended for an extended period of time.
• Engrave expensive accessories like car stereos, cellular phones, compact disc changers, external speakers so that the thief will have difficulty disposing of them.
• Drop business cards, address labels or other identification inside vehicle doors to help assist law enforcement in identifying your vehicle or parts.
• Replace easily accessible door lock assemblies.
• Install an anti-theft device or system on your vehicle as an extra deterrent measure.