According to Parkview police spokesperson Lloyd Ramovha, the aim of the day was to get to know the community and work together to fight crime.
“We urge the community to work together with us and help us help them decrease crime and keep them safe,” said Ramovha.
According to police cases, Ramovha confirmed that driveway and house robberies were directly related to being followed from shopping centres. Ramovha urged the community to take safety precautions while driving by constantly checking their review mirrors.
“Incase you notice you are being followed, circle the block, get to your nearest police station or call the police or security provider,” said Ramovha.
Ramovha also explained that criminals were opportunists and would steal any car readily available. VW polos, Toyota Yaris’ and Toyota Fortuner’s were among the most targeted cars,” said Ramovha.
Ramovha urged motorists to take responsibility for their cars and never completely trust car guards, “We have found that when a car goes missing, the car guard usually pleads ignorance,” Ramovha said.
“In addition, the saying out of sight out of mind rings true for criminals therefore motorists should always place valuables in the boot,” explained Ramovha.
When it comes to house break-ins and robberies, Ramovha said it was proven that the majority of house robbers targeted households that were familiar to them, “A lot of planning goes into house robberies (sometimes months), however when robbers are on the prowl and an opportunity presents itself, they won’t hesitate to pounce”.
Ramovha also urged residents to know the people working for them, “For just R96 Parkview police are able to check the criminal status of your prospective employees”.
“When it came to smash-and-grab crimes, majority of apprehended perpetrators interviewed confessed to prefer woman drivers as their targets, based on the idea that women were easier targets and wouldn’t chase after them,” explained Ramovha.
In short, residents should be alert at all times, as criminals usually pose as harmless innocent beggars.
Ramovha also warned motorists to be especially careful whenever they saw broken glass lying on the side of the road. “If the pieces of glass are still scattered across the road chances are a smash and grab just occurred,” he said.
Report any crime or suspicious behaviour to the police.
Details: 011 486 5000.
