Car breakins

There seems to be another couple of Tsotsis going around the Northern Suburbs breaking into cars. I heard of 2 separate incidents that, apparently, happened at about 8am today (Wed 4^th) in Vainona - both from Moms that were dropping kids off at school and only away from their cars for 3 or 4 minutes.

 

I have also been in touch with senior police officers today about the matter and they have asked me to stress that these incidents must be reported to the nearest police station as soon after the event as possible. Please make sure you have a recent copy of Ndeipi on hand – either in the cubby hole of your car(s) or next to the home phone. The contact telephone numbers for all of the local Police stations are on the back inside page of Ndeipi. Ensure that you are given a Reports received number for future reference.

 

My golfing mate tells me that if you leave your window unwound just a couple of centimetres it is much harder to break! In the meanwhile please be extra careful to not expose valuable belongings in the passenger side of your vehicles

Keep your eyes wide open at all times. Mike G

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Reader’s Comments below.

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Shame, Roseanne what an awful experience my husband having gone through the same thing some years ago at the intersection of Lobengula and Douglas Roads in the Industrial sites, Harare.  Although it was broad daylight he never carried his briefcase in the back seat of the vehicle, but just this once he did!  A reminder to ladies with handbags and gents with briefcases, get into the habit of double locking (if possible) your possessions in the boot of the car, this way no-one will see what you are carrying on the inside of the vehicle.  Remember too, the network by way of cell/mobile phones advises the thief you are on your way!! With your precious possessions clearly visible.  So you end up being an easy target come rain, hail or sunshine!   Ex police woman

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So sorry for this woman’s loss, but she was lucky it wasn’t worse.  These guys are not only desperate to acquire a few bucks, but they have hours and hours during the day to plan this sort of heist.  And she’s right when she says it ALWAYS happens just the ONE time you forget to be careful.  A similar thing happened to me late 2012 -  my 2 dogs were very old and deaf (obviously a known fact) and my domestic workers go off for lunch between 1pm and 2.30.  The one was actually away on leave.  A guy had been casing my property for days, I suspect, and had figured out that he could just lift the electric gate off its track and shift it enough to squeeze in.  He was in and out of the house in about 5 minutes – we were having  lunch on a side verandah.  It was the ONLY time I had come home and thrown my bag on the bed instead of putting it well out of sight  -  the bag was still on the bed, and nothing really important to me had been taken, other than all the cash from my wallet.  Very slick, quick and clever.  Investigations showed that my domestic workers had no involvement.

 

Lesson we learned :  Make sure there is no way your gate can be pushed even slightly open or lifted.  AND make sure you get alert dogs before the current ones get old and deaf!! L.  An alert dog is one of the best preventions if you are around to hear it barking, but also totally useless if it just barks all day at anything and everything as many suburban dogs do.