The Boksburg SAPS has noted a recurrence of smash-and-grabs at several intersections, mostly reported between sundown and midnight.
According to Boksburg SAPS spokesperson Const Ntsako Ledwaba, detectives are investigating several smash-and-grab cases reported in the identified hot spots.
Police reports revealed that in Lilianton at the intersection of Main Reef and Field roads in particular, various predators strike repeatedly and are easily getting away with it by running into the nearby congested shacks.
For that reason, police are urging motorists to be extra vigilant to avoid falling victim to the said predators, which have for the past couple of months constantly pounced on unsuspecting motorists.
Modus operandi
Police noted as part of the robbers’ modus operandi, the assailants normally target drivers who seem a bit inattentive or preoccupied when waiting at the traffic lights. They smash the window of the stationary vehicle and grab valuable items before vanishing into thin air with the loot.
Hot items
Ledwaba said it appears thieves are mostly attracted to valuable items kept in plain sight, such as cellphones, laptops and handbags. She, therefore, urged drivers not to place any valuable items on car seats or inside vehicles where they can be easily seen by would-be thieves.
Tackling smash-and-grabs
To try and deal with the problem, Ledwaba said officers are regularly deployed at the identified hot spots.
The police visibility, however, seems to be a short-term solution to the problem as the perpetrators tend to temporarily stay away from the spot, but strike again once the police and patrollers have left.
Police remind drivers that it is against the law to use cellphones while you’re in control of a motor vehicle, adding that in some instances of smash-and-grabs motorists are distracted by their cellphones.
Smash-and-grab hot spots in Boksburg:
Boksburg policing precinct
• At the traffic light on Rondebult and Pretoria roads in Comet
• The intersection of Main Reef and Field roads in Angelo informal settlement
• The intersection of Commissioner Street and Atlas Road
Reiger Park policing precinct
Police in the area urge motorists to be more cautious when at the intersection of Main Reef and Wit Deep roads near Jerusalem informal settlement, especially between 4pm and 6pm. The Reiger Park SAPS spokesperson, Sgt Mashudu Phathela, said at the intersection in question they on average get one or two cases per month, adding it’s not prevalent when compared to the nearby Main Reef and Field intersection in Angelo informal settlement.
Boksburg North policing precinct
The Boksburg North SAPS hasn’t had any smash-and-grab cases reported at the police station since January 2020.
According to the Boksburg North police spokesperson, Const Justice Ramaube, in 2019 their precinct used to have a few cases of smash-and-grabs in Lilianton near Angelo informal settlement.
Dawn Park SAPS
The Dawn Park SAPS spokesperson, Nkemeleng Mabula, said the last time their police station received a smash-and-grab complaint was in 2019.
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