Crime Alerts

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.

23 JUNE 2016

Homes with Aluminium Frame Windows

Fact: One or more criminal gangs/groups are currently targeting homes with aluminium framed windows in our area. (5 Incidents occurred in the last week alone)

Fact: These incidents are occurring at night when the residents are at home and asleep. (typically between 2 and 5 in the morning). This increases the risk of bodily harm to our families.

Fact: At least one resident woke up and came face to face with two burglars in his lounge area. They were armed with a handgun and a large knife respectively. (Fortunately he managed to persuade them not to harm him.)

Fact: These are professional criminals who are able to remove any window pane from any aluminium frame within seconds (this includes the larger “fixed panes” i.e. not only from windows that can open).

Fact: Those homes in this category that do not have strong anti-burglary facilities are therefore significantly more at risk than their neighbours at this moment as they are likely to be targeted first. A rough calculation (see bottom of page) is that if in this last sub-category the probability for your home to be hit in the near future could well be 20 times greater than for your neighbours!

What can be done to reduce the risk and eliminate weaknesses?

1. Print this document and share it with your neighbours and with an expert.

2. Ask your neighbours to be “doubly” alert for your sake and theirs.

3. If you have a dog – especially a small one – let it sleep inside the home (or get a dog?).

4. If you have an alarm, make sure it is on every night.

5. Add silicone when fitting window panes – ask your contractor. Strong burglar bars essential (“new see through self-install” is option).  Cover all windows panes – not only ones that open.
(Wall to wall is ideal of course.) Alarm beams across windows are good additions.

6. Consider getting an alarm and if possible link that to an armed response service

7. If able to afford it, consider adding perimeter security – eg Wall and Fence and Electric Fencing. Be sure though to avoid obscuring the view to and from the street as this increases the risk.

(Rough calculation: Assume the risk of being burgled in our area is 1/100 or 1%. Assume 20% of homes in our area have aluminium frames – that means that the likelihood for them of being hit are 5 X higher than for other homes (5%). Assume further that 25% of these aluminium frame homes have security weak points that make them attractive for this gang. The probability of this sub-category of homes being targeted therefore increases by a further factor of 4 to 20%.)