Fidelity ADT is constantly on the lookout for danger areas for motorists. As we approach the end of January 2022, motorists once again need to be aware of key hotspots, hijacking & smash and grab intersections.

Corner Leslie & William Nicol; Corner Witkoppen & Rivonia have been flagged for smash & grab while the corners of South & Edison; South & Bowling and South and Marlborough in the Gallo manor/Morningside area have all being earmarked by Fidelity ADT based on incidents reported across community what’s app groups as hot spot intersections for hijacking.

“Vigilance is key; these intersections are notorious for smash-and-grab incidents and if we can just raise awareness with motorists who frequently use them, it may reduce the risk.” says Charnel Hattingh Head of Marketing & communications for Fidelity ADT.

“A large number of crimes simply go unreported because of the nature of the crime or because of a lack of confidence in the system,” says Hattingh. Intersections or robots can be notorious for smash-and-grab incidents so to avoid becoming a victim remember:

• Criminals are usually after valuable items such as handbags, laptops, shopping bags, gym bags and cell phones. The most important thing is to never put these items on a seat or on the floor of your car where they are visible to criminals. The boot is always preferred
• Remember to lock all doors and close windows
• Avoid getting into discussions with street vendors
• Constantly be aware of your surroundings
• Do not be distracted at a robot by talking on your phone
• Consider fitting your windows with a polycarb film. These can be tinted so that no one can see into the car, while also preventing the windows from shattering
• Leave a gap between you and the car in front of you to give you room to escape if you need to
• Be constantly on the lookout for suspicious looking behaviour and be wary of people standing at intersections

Hattingh says selective reporting of crime is problematic as it contributes to the dissemination of misinformation around crime, rather than accurate and contextualised information, which the SAPS and private security companies can then work on to apprehend suspects.

“No matter how big or small or how insignificant you feel the crime is it needs to be reported. If the suspects are apprehended at a later date there is often no charge as there has been no complainant or case number to attach it to!” concludes Hattingh.