UMBILO police has appealed to the community to be vigilant about vehicle safety after reports of theft out of motor vehicles and theft out of motor vehicles incidents.
According to Captain Pumzile Makaula, the incidents reported did not only occur at evenings or late at night but also in daylight hours. “In an incident this week, a woman parked her car on Cato Road, while visiting someone in the afternoon at a hospital nearby and when she returned, her car was gone. There was also another incident at an Umbilo shopping centre where a car was taken after being parked from 3 to 6.30pm,” she explained.
After recent incidents of theft of motor vehicles and car hijackings, Makaula urged people to be vigilant and refrain from parking in unsafe areas. “Do not sit in parked cars as we find many car hijacking incidents occur when people are sitting in their parked vehicles. We also want to remind motorists to always properly close windows as criminals find a gap and have pushed down windows, startling unsuspecting victims.
Also ensure by physically checking that your vehicle is locked to avoid being a victim of car jamming which is a trend around the city,” she added.
Makaula warned the public to refrain from using or selling drugs as police were clamping down on all drug related activity. “Officers made six arrests for possession of cocaine on Monday, while there were other arrests around the Umbilo area at the weekend for possession of dagga and cocaine.
She said Umbilo police officers were stationed at UKZN’s Howard Campus where student fee protests had erupted earlier but that the “situation is under control.”
