Beware: Gate motor thieves operating in these West Rand suburbs
Some useful tips for safeguarding your gate motor against theft and your property against a home invasion.
Theft of gate motors is a risk in both Roodepoort and Krugersdorp, warned Fidelity ADT.
Charnel Hattingh, the marketing and communications group head at Fidelity ADT, says suburbs like Wilropark, Weltevreden Park, Witpoortjie, Roodekrans and Krugersdorp are targeted.
“This has been an ongoing problem. There is a thriving black market for gate motor parts. Stolen gate motors are either stripped down and their various components [batteries, gearboxes, etc] sold individually or they are sold as complete units to unsuspecting homeowners by these ‘access automation bandits’ as they are often referred to.”
She added there is also a worrying trend of suspects deactivating the gate motor and accessing the property while on manual override.
Another trend is the theft of tyres from parked cars.
“We have found that security measures like electric fences, detection beams and CCTV are still key deterrents to crime, as are pets. For homeowners, small dogs that sleep inside the house are seen as a deterrent. How secure your neighbourhood is, is also a meaningful factor. If robbers are scouting carefully, they will view regular patrol and a strong neighbourhood watch system as a good reason to move on,” she said.
Here are some useful tips for safeguarding your gate motor and your property:
• Ensure that your gate motor is secured in a steel casing or bracket which is locked at all times. Suspects often just place their hands through the gate if your gate motor is unsecured and installed right next to a “palisade-type gate”. They are then able to switch the gate to manual and access your property
• Make use of a good quality lock to secure the motor’s theft-resistant cage. Preferably opt for an insurance-rated padlock
• Install adequate anti-lift brackets and weld a piece of flat bar onto the gate rack to prevent thieves from bending the rack upwards.
• Combine mechanical anti-theft systems, such as traditional theft-resistant cages, with electronic notification devices, eg, sound bombs and GSM units which can send notifications to users when the device’s inputs are triggered
“Your electric gate should be one of the first perimeter deterrents to protect you from crime. We need to do our bit to reduce crime by making it harder for criminals. Safeguard your gate motors!” concluded Hattingh.
