The Jeppe SAPS communications officer, Warrant Officer Richard Munyayi, said between December 1 and January 5, there were 21 hijacking cases reported.
He added that most of these hijackings occurred when motorists were sitting in their cars, or while they were waiting for the gate to their property to open.
“We appeal for drivers to be more vigilant and to not park in dark streets or sit inside their cars. If a driver pulls into his yard and sees suspicious people, rather drive off and alert the police. We advise residents to have remote controlled gates to make it easier for them to enter their houses without being distracted,” said W/O Munyayi.
He added that during the festive season, the areas which were most affected included Bezuidenhout Valley and Jeppes Town.
He also urged residents to help the police curb crime by joining crime fighting bodies.
“We hope that members of the community will come on board to fight crime in their precincts. We also hope residents will work hand in hand with their sector managers, the CPF and join street patrollers in order to reduce crime,” he said.
W/O Munyayi also called on the community to refrain from opening false cases.
“In some cases, after investigations, we find that the victims opened false cases. In some cases there was no hijacking. Either the person sold the car or used the car to pay off debt,” said W/O Munyayi.
