Residents and car owners warned of an increase in the theft of and from a motor vehicle in residential complexes.
Imagine walking down to your car after an evening’s rest to find the window smashed out, all while you thought it was securely parked in your complex. This is the frustrating reality residents living in complexes across Fairland have experienced over the last few months.
Fairland Police Station spokesperson Sergeant Michael Kgatla confirmed that there has been an increase in the theft from motor vehicles as well as theft of motor vehicles incidents. “Complex vehicle break-ins had come down but we are currently seeing a rise. The Fairland residential complexes are most problematic at the moment.”
One such complex along Smit Street has been the location of at least four theft from motor vehicles cases over the last few months. Car owners would arrive at their cars in the morning with one of their windows broken and in some cases valuable content taken from the car. On 4 October a car was reported stolen at the same complex, finally pushing the complex’s body corporate to drastically improve security at the premises.
Kgatla confirmed they have been investigating these matters but they require more victims of these crimes to report these cases. “The more we know about criminal activity taking place in your places of residence, the better we can strategise for it.”
Fairland Police Station has encouraged body corporates and residents living in complexes to come together to find ways to increase the security from within. They welcome body corporates to contact them about any suspicious or problematic activity taking place near their homes.
The station also shared a few tips on what car owners can do to keep their vehicles and belongings safe at all times:
- Park in properly designated and well-lit parking areas
- Improve lighting in parking areas and driveways
- Make sure all the windows and boot of your car are properly locked
- If you use a remote to lock your vehicle make sure manually that it is properly locked
- Don’t leave any valuables the vehicle such as cell phones, money, cameras, and laptops
- Limit and control access in and out of the residential property
- Consider installing an anti-lift bracket or a gate alarm to alert your security company to attempts to open your gate forcefully.
