A stolen vehicle was recovered in the centre of town this December, thanks to the alert vigilance of a patrolling armed response officer.

“Our officers are trained to be on the lookout for anything that appears to be out of place or that looks suspicious. Most of our successes in and around Port Elizabeth has been directly due to this training,” says Ryan Britz, Port Elizabeth branch manager for Fidelity ADT.

Gary Burgins was on patrol in PE Central when he came across a car parked along Hope Street. The vehicle had no number plates and it also appeared that the car’s dashboard had been damaged.

“Our officer used his training to determine that something was obviously amiss, and he suspected that this could be a stolen vehicle that had been abandoned. He made contact with the Community Information Centre and asked that they alert the police. The SAPS later confirmed that this was in fact a vehicle that had been reported to them as stolen,” says Britz.

It is important to make sure your car is always properly locked when you leave it, and that the alarm is activated. Britz also urges residents to never leave valuable items in a parked car at night.

“Please keep an eye on your immediate surroundings and alert the police, your security company or the Community Information Centre if anything appears to be out of place.

“We have seen the CIC team involved in numerous arrests and stolen vehicle recoveries over the past few years and we are delighted with the positive impact it has made in the fight against crime. The CIC team stands ready to assist every resident of our beautiful city and can be contacted on 086 12 12 210 or 041 363 5136.”