Durban - Communities are taking the fight to hijackers, saying they will
not sit back and allow criminals to terrorise them.
For the second time in a week, community policing forums teamed up and went head-to-head with
hijackers.
Reservoir Hills Community Policing Sector spokesperson Ray Jeawon said a resident was hijacked of a Honda Jazz, on Holmleigh Road, just after 10pm on Monday.
The Atholl Heights Neighbourhood Watch and Spartan Security patrollers immediately mobilised on the roads leading into and out of Westville and Reservoir Hills.
A white VW Polo used by the hijackers was soon spotted, being followed by the hijacked Honda on Dunkeld Road, heading towards the M19. During the ensuing pursuit, the driver of the Polo crashed on Rodger Sishi Road, heading into Clermont. The occupants fled into nearby bushes.
The neighbourhood watch members remained in the area and found the Honda abandoned in Clermont.
“The Polo could also have been used in the hijacking of a Honda Jazz on Wycombe Road, in Westville North, on Friday. The hijacked car was recovered. The Polo was also seen in another hijacking as well,” said Jeawon.
Last week, neighbourhood watch patrollers followed the same Polo into Clermont during a chase for a hijacked Hyundai i20, which they found parked at the roadside. The Polo occupants had escaped in that incident.
Jeawon thanked all the role
players involved, including the neighbourhood watch. He said the
automatic number-plate recognition cameras installed in the area have proven successful.
“These cameras stretch from Westville North to Reservoir Hills, down to Mountbatten Drive and some auxiliary roads,” he said.
“Installing the cameras would not have been possible without the sponsorship of individuals helping us fight crime. It has taken us to another level. We are fighting crime on a high-tech level,” Jeawon said.
Reservoir Hills Ratepayers Association chairperson Ish Prahladh said the cameras had been effective, and they had teamed up with the Westville neighbourhood watch to nip crime in the bud.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant- Colonel Thulani Zwane advised the hijack victims to report the matters
to the Sydenham police. He said victims often decline to open cases when their vehicles are found after
a hijacking.
“Reporting crime helps police
plan and deploy resources properly,” Zwane said.