A nursery school in Malva Street and schools in Cockspur Road have recently been targeted by suspected car jamming criminals.
Three incidents have already been reported this year where the cars of parents fetching or dropping off their children were remote jammed and valuables stolen out of their vehicles.
In the most recent incident, a parent was targeted at My Little School House. The suspect, who drove a white Volvo, remote jammed a car and stole valuables from the boot of the car. One of the schools has now handed video footage with evidence of car jamming over to the police.
Honeydew Police confirmed that a case was opened. “We received the video footage and our Crime Intelligence officers are busy with the investigation,” said Honeydew Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Karen Jacobs.
Kealy Struwig, one of the owners of My Little School House, said, “These are the only incidents we are aware of. It may have been going on for longer.” Unfortunately, the registration plates of the suspect’s car are not visible in the video.
WO Jacobs said motorists are also being targeted at shopping centres, schools, garages and other parking areas. Residents must please report these incidents to their nearest police station or to the Honeydew Police Station’s 24-hour operational room on 011 801 8614/5.
WO Jacobs also gave some tips on how car drivers can be more vigilant:
- Make sure your car is locked before walking away
- Do not walk away and then lock your car, stand close to your car and check that it is in fact locked
- Many people tend to press the immobiliser and assume they’ve locked their cars, but unfortunately, criminals may use jamming devices to prevent immobilisers from working
- Make certain that you’ve closed all car windows properly
- Do not leave your laptop, cell phone, handbag or any other property in the boot of the vehicle when parking the vehicle, take it with you at all times
- Remove your Garmin device when parking your vehicle
- Always have your keys in your hand before you approach your car so that there are no extra delays that can make you an easy target for criminals.
“The Honeydew Police have regular meetings with [shopping] centre managements and security companies in order to make them aware of the latest crime trends. Regular operations are also held with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) in order to ensure that all security and vehicle guards are registered,” said WO Jacobs.
Details: Honeydew Police Station 24 hour operational room 011 801 8614/5.
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