MOTORISTS beware! Even when you park your car at home it is not safe.
There has been a sudden influx of auto theft in Empangeni during the past week.
According to residents, there were a total of four cars stolen out of driveways and parking lots during the past weekend alone. However, only one of these incidents was reported to the police.
‘A vehicle was taken from FiveWays Shopping Mall on the weekend,’ said Captain Mbongeni Mdlalose.
He could not confirm whether there had been an increase in theft of motor vehicles specifically, but did note a spike in crime as a whole during the past two weeks.
There were three vehicles stolen from residential areas in Empangeni including Alan Bean and Cherry Cresent in Kildare. Two of the incidents were posted on the Facebook group, ‘Empangeni – Reporting Criminal Activity’. One BMW X1 was found later by a tracking company, and a Hyundai H100 bakkie is still to be recovered.
Business Against Crime Manager,Dave Whittaker told the Zululand Observer that the thieves had broken into homes to obtain keys to the vehicles.
He advised residents to hide car keys at night. Additionally, securing driveway gates with a strong padlock and chain or fitting electronic alarm outdoor beams would discourage potential auto theft attempts.
Whittaker urged Facebook users to make use of ‘Empangeni – Reporting Criminal Activity’ as a platform to inform others of criminal activity and experiences in the area.
‘Keeping up-to-date on current situations such as this may help you keep your car safe at night,’ said Whittaker.
