Latest crime stats show increase in vehicle hijackings

Police Minister Bheki Cele has revealed that carjackings increased 23.6% between July and September 2022, compared with the same period the year before.

Truck hijackings increased by 36.8%, theft of motor vehicles and motorcycles were up by 13.9% and theft out or from a motor vehicle increased by 17.1%.

Over 6,000 carjacking crimes were reported to the police during the period.

A total of 356 vehicles were reported hijacked in the top three stations, Nyanga, Harare and Philippi East combined — all in the Western Cape. Kidnappings have doubled nationally with over 4,000 reported to the police between July and September 2022 with carjacking, robbery and rape the top three motives for kidnapping during the period.

Vehicle security and recovery specialists Tracker’s latest Vehicle Crime Index, which covers the period January to June 2022, reveals that incident volumes have increased to pre-Covid lockdown levels across the country.

According to Tracker, the rise in vehicle theft and hijackings can partly be attributed to increased vehicle usage after a return to work and more numerous social occasions, as well as new modus operandi on the part of criminals and crime syndicates, such as keyless access theft.

The keyless access tactic involves a pair or team of criminals, one of whom could follow a vehicle owner as they walk away from a locked car. Using a relay amplifier, a criminal can amplify the transmitted signal received from the vehicle’s key fob to a criminal counterpart’s relay transmitter. The criminal counterpart can then gain access to the vehicle via the transmitter and drive away with it.

Tracker provides the following advice on how to mitigate vehicle theft:

1. Should you have a keyless access vehicle, invest in a secure Faraday pouch (also known as a fob guard) to store your key fob. Lined with layers of metallic material, this pouch helps block key fob signals, thereby preventing criminals intercepting the signal.
2. If the front of your home and your vehicle are easily accessible, for instance in high-density or cluster-style living environments, try to store your key fob as far away from the access point and your car’s location as possible, to minimise the possibility of amplifying the key fob signal and allowing criminals to access your vehicle.
3. If your car is not parked securely behind a locked gate or in a garage when at home, try to park a car requiring a key behind your keyless car to ensure it cannot be driven away without increased effort.
4. You could also consider deactivating the keyless entry function.
5. Ensure that your doors are locked before walking away from your parked car. For cars requiring key entry, always double-check by lifting the handle once you have locked the doors — remote jamming as a modus operandi continues to gain popularity in criminal circles.
6. When parking, choose a well-lit area and if possible, an area with cameras monitoring the parking area and pedestrian activity around your vehicle.
7. Use a steering wheel lock. Though they are considered “old-school’” they can be effective as a visual deterrent.
8. Install an immobiliser. While many cars have factory fitted immobilisers, there is merit in having an additional system . As an extra bonus your car insurance premium could possibly be reduced because of the additional deterrent.
9. Install CCTV to watch over your car when parked in your driveway and add a motion detector light. Both can act as a deterrent and provide additional peace of mind.