The team of the Stellenbosch Hospice Shop have warned customers and donors to be on the lookout for would-be thieves after a car was recently broken into in broad daylight.
A video shared with Hospice’s social-media viewers shows a man eyeing a driver who stops his car close to the shop in Borcherd Road around 15:30. The suspect can be seen coming towards the car, then walking away and also crossing the street.
All this as the driver gets out of his vehicle, takes something from the back seat and locks up. Soon afterwards the suspect comes to the car, smashes the window with what looks like a rock and grabs something from the back seat and runs away.
“It’s that time of the year again,” the Hospice shop team cautioned. “Please be aware of your surroundings in Borcherd Road. Don’t leave items in your car. Contact us when you have a donation and we will come and assist you.
“Don’t involve people who hang around the area because it creates an expectation, which also becomes problematic for the shop.”
POLICE WARNING
According to Captain Nathalie Martin, spokesperson for Stellenbosch police, even though theft from motor vehicles occur in the precinct every day, there has been a decrease recently.
“The Stellenbosch central business district is the most affected area. There is no specific day and time that thieves strike,” she pointed out.
The most common method is for suspects to break into vehicles through side windows to gain access to whatever is in them, Martin added. “Stop leaving valuables, laptops, cellphones, clothes or any other valuable item, in vehicles when parked.”
Martin confirmed a case is being investigated after the break-in in Borcherd Road on Tuesday 21 October. No arrests have been made.
Joint operations will be executed during the festive season, with the hopes that higher visibility will deter criminals. Martin urged motorists to lock their vehicles’ doors and close windows every time “even if you leave your vehicle for only a minute.”
She also shared some safety tips:
- Remove valuables from sight, take them with you or put them in the boot before you stop and park.
- Do not leave chargers, phone mounts, sunglasses or loose change on seats; it shows there is something worth stealing.
- Use immobilisers.
- Consider installing window tinting or privacy screens.
- Choose busy and CCTV covered areas or guarded parking.
- At night, park near entrances, lights or on security patrol routes.
