After an increase in the number of theft of motor vehicles and theft out of motor vehicles in shopping centres in the area, the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum (CPF) Sector 2, in partnership with the Douglasdale police, recently held a public awareness campaign at Broadacres Shopping Centre about the widespread .
CPF Sector 2 members and Douglasdale police officers approached community members and asked them to check that their cars were locked and handed them pamphlets with information about the CPF.
According to the chairperson of the CPF Sector 2, Natasha Levenderis, it was the first-ever crime awareness day that the CPF Sector 2 conducted. “We were there to warn community members that car-jamming is a major issue at shopping centres and they should put their valuables in their boot when they step into a shopping centre,” she said.
On the awareness day, community members participated in a raffle by donating R20 and stood a chance to win six prizes. The prizes were donated by a number of tenants at Broadacres Shopping Centre. The six lucky raffle winners were Cecily West, Deegan Dallas, Patsy Stone, Aimee Wienand, Kelvin and Julia Gray and Joan Duke.
“The event was more of an awareness campaign than a fundraiser, but we managed to raise R1 600. The general response from community members was very positive, as they were interested to see an active CPF Sector 2,” Levenderis said.
Community members can look forward to an upcoming potjie competition and all sectors are invited to participate.
Head of communications for the Douglasdale Police Station, Warrant Officer Balan Muthan, provided safety tips to use to avoid becoming a victim of car jamming.
According to Muthan it is important to:
- Park your car in a place where there is security video surveillance
- Before you leave your vehicle, physically make sure all windows and doors are locked
- Do not just activate your car alarm and walk away, but double check if your car is securely locked
- Do not leave valuables in your car visible to criminals and make sure all valuable items are safely hidden in the boot
- If you are going to leave your car unattended, make sure you park the vehicle in a busy public space.
Details: www.ddcpf.co.za
