CRIME ALERT: Vehicle Rims
7 JULY 2016
Vehicles with Sport/Alloy Rims
Fact: One or more gangs of thieves, who specialise in stealing valuable rims from motor vehicles, are currently very active in our streets. At least 7 incidents occurred in the past 2 weeks.
Fact: Similar to the aluminium break-ins, the rim thieves operate at night – usually but not exclusively after midnight.
Fact: There are a high number of cars parked on driveways and lawns in our areas. A substantial percentage of these cars have expensive sport rims, making them attractive to the criminals.
Fact: The rim thief gangs are professional criminals who come from outside our areas and use vehicles/bakkies.
Fact: In some cases the gangs bring their own cement blocks or bricks to prop up cars when removing the wheels. They may even break into and steal e.g. a jack from another car at a nearby house in order to facilitate the removal of the wheels on the target car.
Fact: In many instances further damage is caused to the vehicles’ under-carriage and trims during the process of removing the wheels. If you have a vehicle with Sport Rims and you leave it outside at night, your risk of suffering rim the is currently much higher than normal
What can be done to reduce the risk and eliminate weaknesses?
1. The best way to reduce your risk is to park your vehicle with sport rims in your garage/behind a locked gate etc.
2. A dog that sleeps within earshot of the parked vehicle reduces your risk.
3. Security light ……..will make it more difficult for them to operate
4. A car alarm that is triggered when the car is “bumped” or “disturbed” likewise reduces the risk.
5. Lock nuts and different types may help but may also cause the thieves to do further damage to the wheels.
6. Security shops have devices that may be used to alert you of a criminal removing your wheels e.g. relatively inexpensive sonic alarms.
7. Print this document and discuss it with your neighbours who have cars with sport rims (especially if those cars are sometimes left in the driveway at night).
LPR Cameras increase the risk to criminals of being caught thus reducing these and other crimes
in an area. Please support PWP’s LPR Camera Project.

