Cape Town recently revealed that its top five smash-and-grab hotspots are all located at intersections on the 24km-long Jakes Gerwel Drive.
This comes after the City recorded a monthly uptick in smash-and-grab incidents on its roads between April and September this year.
A smash-and-grab crime is one where a vehicle’s windows are broken by one or more perpetrators, and valuable items are taken from the driver or passengers, usually things like cell phones and handbags.
This is in contrast to “theft out of motor vehicles,” which is a crime where items are taken from the open window of a car, or where items are lifted from the back of a vehicle like a bakkie, truck, or delivery van.
While April only saw seven smash-and-grabs being reported within the metro that month, August and September had 25 and 42 reports, respectively, indicating a dangerous trend that all road users should be aware of.
Areas to avoid
Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, noted that its top five smash-and-grab hotspots are at intersections along Jakes Gerwel Drive, also known as the M7, which connects Acacia Park to Mitchells Plain through the Cape Flats.
Between April and September, Cape Town’s smash-and-grab incidents rose dramatically, as shown by data released by the city:
| Month | Number of smash-and-grab incidents |
|---|---|
| April | 7 |
| May | 7 |
| June | 12 |
| July | 19 |
| August | 35 |
| September | 42 |
“Motorists are most vulnerable when stationary at an intersection and are often distracted by their cellphones or other items,” said Smith.
“These crimes have increased over the last few months and as we get closer to the festive season, the criminals are likely to increase their activity.”
The governing body stated that it is aware of the increase in criminal activities and the hotspots where they are concentrated, and that it is trying to conduct patrol operations as often as possible.
“Unfortunately, we’re not able to station officers there 24 hours a day as there are too many competing priorities for our limited resources,” said Smith.
“Not only does the South African Police Service have to do their part, but I want to urge motorists to be aware of their surroundings, especially in these known hotspots. These are opportunistic crimes, so please make sure your valuables are out of sight in the boot of your vehicle and your doors are locked.”
Metro officers recently did an awareness drive along the N2 and Jakes Gerwel Drive, and the city is also making use of surveillance cameras to alert authorities when suspects are on the roads, as they often disappear when they see officers approaching.
A silver lining
On a more positive note, the number of theft-out-of-motor-vehicle cases saw a notable decline over the same period, as shown in the table below:
| Month | Number of theft-out-of-motor-vehicle incidents |
|---|---|
| April | 46 |
| May | 36 |
| June | 41 |
| July | 50 |
| August | 39 |
| September | 20 |
The top five hotspots for thefts out of motor vehicles were also more spread out across the metro, and were as follows:
- Owen Street and 35th Avenue
- 35th Avenue and Bishop Lavis Drive
- Robert Sobukwe Road and 35th Avenue
- Stellenbosch Arterial Road and Adam Tas Road
- Reygersdal on the Atlantis MyCiTi bus route.
The majority of these incidents were recorded on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, according to the city council.
Victims of smash-and-grab and theft out of motor vehicle crimes are encouraged to lay criminal charges and testify in court, because otherwise there is no legal basis for the accused to be held and tried for their crimes, according to the city council.
“Without a complainant in the matter, there is no justifiable means of detaining the accused further and the hands of enforcement are tied,” it said.
Residents are implored to call 021 480 7700 on their cell phones and 107 on a landline to report an emergency or criminal activity.
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