A local non-profit safety patrol company has warned residents to take extra precautions when parking vehicles on streets overnight. This comes after a recent string of car break-ins in Stellenbosch.
Vehicles left unattended with visible items inside are more likely to be broken into, according to Reinhard Fourie, Stellenbosch Watch manager. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi
This is according to Reinhard Fourie, manager of Stellenbosch Watch. According to their website, Stellenbosch Watch “finances tactical [and] patrol bakkies”. These vehicles patrol residential areas with the aim of preventing crime.
Fourie told MatieMedia via written correspondence that the areas affected the most are the Stellenbosch central business district, the municipal toll parking opposite Eikestad Mall and the “quiet streets” north of Merriman Street. “All areas [of Stellenbosch] are prone to break-ins,” he added.
“Do not leave any valuables in your vehicles,” warned Fourie. “Criminals looking to break into vehicles move around permanently and will look for an easy pick such as a bag on the backseat.”
Fourie raised specific concerns about “remote jamming”, which is “a special type of crime […] where a device [such as] a gate remote or another vehicle remote is used to block the signal from your vehicle remote”. This results in your car remaining unlocked, explained Fourie.
Smash and grab spree
“I left my book bag in the back of my car,” said David Steere, a resident on Borcherd Street, Stellenbosch, whose car was broken into at approximately 02:00 on 28 February. “They threw a rock through my back-right window and stole my bag. There was glass everywhere.” Steere’s car was parked on Borcherd Street during the break-in.
Stellenbosch resident David Steere’s vehicle was broken into in the early hours of 28 February. According to Steere, his book bag was stolen. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi
At approximately 22:30 on 9 March, Paige Muttitt, a resident of the Onder Papegaaiberg suburb of Stellenbosch, had her vehicle broken into. According to Muttitt, the break-in was unexpected, as she saw Onder Papegaaiberg as “one of the safer areas in Stellenbosch”.
Muttitt said that, although her car had been “rummaged through”, nothing was stolen from the vehicle. “I never leave anything valuable in my car,” said Muttitt, who’s car was parked in her driveway when it got damaged. “To smash the window of someone’s car, make a mess and leave just seems […] so ridiculous to me,” she added.
Paige Muttitt, resident of Onder Papegaaiberg, Stellenbosch, recently took to Facebook to warn fellow residents about car break-ins, after she fell victim to this crime on 9 March. PHOTO: Facebook/Paige Muttitt
A possible solution
Glen Loxton, Eikenbosch Residence Forum coordinator operating in Karee Street and Olienhout Street, suggested possible solutions landlords around Stellenbosch should consider to minimise the problem.
“Monitoring helps a lot,” said Loxton. “[On Karee and Olienhout Street] we have cameras that watch the road and the entrances 24 hours a day and are monitored by a software remotely. It’s like having a person watching but it’s AI software that can detect people in cars and that sort of thing.”
Capt Nathalie Martin, Stellenbosch South African Police Service communications officer, suggested via written correspondence that residents should join their local neighbourhood watch and “be on the lookout for suspicious persons hanging around”.
Vehicles parked on Karee and Olienhout Street, Stellenbosch, are protected by software-controlled cameras that operate 24 hours a day. This is according to Glen Loxton, coordinator for the Eikenbosch Residence Forum. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi