The City of Cape Town has issued a warning to motorists travelling in the vicinity of Jakes Gerwel Drive and Voortrekker Road following an increase in smash-and-grab incidents.
According to a statement, released by Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, over a 12 month period, 78 cases were registered at the Goodwood Police Station for incidents at this intersection. In March alone, 24 cases were reported.
Smith says the majority of the incidents occur on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and in particular between 18:00 and midnight.
“The increase in the number of incidents at this intersection appears to be directly linked to our efforts to clamp down on another hotspot further along Jakes Gerwel Drive in the vicinity of Langa. Unfortunately the proximity to the Maitland Cemetery means that the criminals have somewhere to run and hide.”
He says the City is working closely with police to tackle this issue.
He also says that other smash-and-grab hotspots that have emerged in recent months include the intersections of 35th Avenue and Owen Road in Elsies River as well as 35th Avenue and Robert Sobukwe Road in Bishop Lavis. In one of the most recent incidents on Friday 12 May, a motorist was robbed of a cellphone by two young men at the this intersection.
The motorist called the suspects and arranged to pay them for the return of the phone. Officers pounced on a 16-year-old male while the exchange was taking place, but his accomplice fled. The motorist refused to lay charges and the officers let the suspect go.
“This is unfortunate. I understand many people’s unwillingness to engage with the criminal justice system because of the delays and lack of guarantee that anything will come of it should they press charges. However, by letting criminals off the hook in this manner we are putting others at risk, who may fall prey to the same suspect in future. We will never adequately address this phenomenon without the assistance of the public, both in terms of pressing charges but also taking responsibility for their personal safety and belongings when driving.”
