Lock your house and car doors: hijackings and house robberies on the rise
Residents and motorists advised to be extra cautious.
Local police have urged community members to be vigilant following a spike in house robberies and hijackings in Brakpan.
According to the SAPS, hijackings are on the increase along the notorious R23 (Heidelberg Road) and house robberies are on the rise, especially in the Leachville and Sunair Park areas.
Police have warned that the perpetrators are armed and dangerous. House robbers were prowling the streets on September 1 and targeted a Dalview woman alone in her Kent Drive home.
The victim was in her house when she heard a noise outside at around 14:45 and opened the door to investigate.
Three men were standing near the door and one of them pointed a gun at her.
They fled with the victim’s cellphone and laptop. Later that evening, at 19:45, an attempted house robbery was reported at an address along Wilgerivier Street in Dalpark.
A woman noticed three men in the yard and alerted her husband. When he went outside to confront them, he was attacked. The husband fought back and hit one of the men.
One of the intruders then fired a gun and the husband returned to the house where he was able to press the panic button.
The would-be robbers quickly fled from the scene. Two house robberies were reported over the past weekend. Read Weekend crime round-up
On September 3, the female driver of a maroon Mazda CX3 was robbed of her vehicle at the R23 and Elsburg Road intersection, near Carnival City.
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The driver was stationary at the traffic lights at 11:45 when her vehicle was bumped from behind by a silver Volkswagen Polo.
She pulled off to the side of the road and got out of her vehicle. The woman was approached by a a group of men, one of whom was armed with a gun.
He pressed the weapon against her back and told her not to scream. She was instructed to get into the back of her car and lay face down.
Her head was covered with a T-shirt. The hijackers drove off with her and later transferred her to another vehicle.
She was eventually released and sought help from a passerby who took her to the Alberton SAPS to report the incident.
The hijackers also took the woman’s cellphone, bank cards and money.
Safety tips
Residents can play an important part in preventing house robberies by taking simple, precautionary measures:
• Know all emergency numbers.
• Don’t leave your gates, garage, front or back door open or partially open. Windows, especially those facing the street, should be closed, even during warm weather.
• Never open the door automatically whenever the bell rings or if someone knocks. Domestic workers, garden staff and children are often approached by robbers who act as delivery men, repairmen, electricians, plumbers, TV licence or municipality inspectors and many other professions.
To gain entrance, robbers use a cellphone and make it as if they are talking to the owner of the house to put pressure on unsuspecting victims to open the gate or door.
Those remaining at home should be made aware of these scams. Arrange with people who remain at home on how you will inform them if there is a need for them to open the house for deliveries, maintenance work or repairs.
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Always use the same procedure and inform the companies involved that they will not gain access unless you have made a specific arrangement.
• A dog is a good early warning system, especially small dogs kept inside the house at night. Large dogs should be visible as a deterrent but beyond the reach of strangers. The unexplainable death of a dog is a warning sign of possible burglary or robbery.
• If your house alarm goes off or you hear strange noises or your dogs bark, switch on the outside lights.
• Always check the identity of strangers who visit for business purposes to do deliveries or repairs. Ensure you stay out of their reach to prevent being grabbed through a closed gate.
• When employing someone, request their identity document and make a copy thereof for safekeeping. Check their previous employment references and do security clearances at the police.
• Instal the best security you can afford, especially security gates on outside doors. Keep these gates locked. If possible, fix a door viewer and latch chain.
• When approaching your house entrance by foot or by car, ensure it is safe to enter and that you have not been followed. Be aware of persons loitering at the entrance.
Do not leave keys in a hidden place for domestic staff or children, robbers often stake out a house and will find out about these hiding places. Do not give keys to people who do not live on the property or to anyone if it is not absolutely necessary.
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• Know your neighbours and build a relationship of mutual trust and support. When going away, inform them.
• It is always best to arrange with persons living in the same street as you to be ready at all times to come to the rescue of one another in dangerous or suspicious times.
Exchange phone numbers or signalling methods when you find yourself in distress. Your strength always lies in how many people can support you in an emergency.
• If you buy luxury goods, cut up the boxes and dispose of these in tied black bags — a branded box is a telltale sign of what robbers could find in your house.
• Keep cash and valuables in banks or safes.
• Store your firearms in a safe. Suspicious-looking people, vehicles and activities must be reported to the police immediately.
With regards to hijackings, police cautioned residents to be alert when leaving or returning home as perpetrators hide behind trees and shrubs at driveway entrances or gates.
Other tips to keep in mind:
• Always lock your vehicle’s doors and keep the windows closed.
• Do not leave your vehicle unlocked, even if you think you will be away for only a minute.
• Avoid stopping at remote places.
• Park your vehicle in places that are well lit.
• If a stranger wants to talk to you while in your vehicle, do not open the window wide -only 5cm is enough to have a discussion.
• If something seems suspicious, do not talk to strangers, rather be rude and drive away.
• Limit your trips at night or at least take someone along with you.
• Vary the route you travel to work and back if this is possible.
• If approached by a stranger while in your car, drive off if possible or press your hooter to attract attention.
• If strangers loiter near or at your driveway, rather drive past. If they loiter for a long time, report it to your nearest police station.
• Hijackers may stage a minor accident so they can approach your car.
• If your car is bumped from behind and you do not feel comfortable with the individual(s) involved in the situation, drive to the nearest police station for help.
• Do not reach for your purse or valuables. Leave everything behind if forced from the car. Your life is more valuable than your possessions. Do not resist.
• Give up your vehicle with no questions asked and move away.
• A lift club limits the risk of becoming a victim of crime.
• Do not give strangers a lift.
• If possible, put up a mirror against the front wall of your garage to see if someone is following you into the garage.
• Do not open your garage doors before your gates are closed.
