Time is critical in recovery of hijacked vehicles

Warning signs alert drivers to dangerous areas along routes. Gcina Ndwalane

Warning signs alert drivers to dangerous areas along routes. Gcina Ndwalane

Published Sep 29, 2019

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Johannesburg - Despite a slight drop in the number of car hijackings in South Africa - 299 fewer cars were taken at gunpoint during the 2018/19 period compared to the previous year, according to police crime statistics - there are still 16026 hijacked cars out there.

And this is no small matter when considering the trauma that some of the drivers are subjected to during a hijacking.

Vehicle tracking companies view hijackings as life-and-death situations and work around the clock to recover and return hijacked vehicles within minutes of the crime taking place.

According to the crime reports - also collaborated by tracking companies - most hijackings occur in townships and inner cities.

And to reduce the number of hijackings by responding swiftly before vehicles are exchanged by hijackers, vehicle tracking companies station recovery teams in hot-spot areas.

Recently, a team from the Sunday Independent joined vehicle tracking company Cartrack in one of its vehicle recovery missions in a helicopter, where the target was a grey light delivery vehicle that had been stolen in Orlando, Soweto.

The helicopter was piloted by 23-year-old Louise Rall, who was in constant communication with the control room that received the report and the recovery team located in the vicinity of the crime.

Throughout the flight, Rall - clad in a brown overall and boots - pressed the various buttons and checked co-ordinates to ensure we were on the right track throughout the breakneck speed journey from Germiston Henley Air offices to Soweto.

“A helicopter service is a crucial part of the recovery process and is the fastest form of communication to the control room and ground team.

“We are often referred to as the eye in the sky,” said Rall, who has been a helicopter pilot for four years.

She further explained that the helicopter also provided intelligence to the ground team to avoid high-risk situations and effect quick vehicle recoveries.

Cartrack runs a 24-hour operation, with the control room being the first point of contact for hijacked

customers.

Their tracking vehicles are mounted with cameras and motor GP devices to ensure round-the-clock communication.

The company’s operations

manager, Jerry Pierce, said on a busy day, their recovery team could respond to over 30 cases of hijackings and stolen cars in cities around the country.

“The customer is required to report a confirmed theft or hijacking as soon as possible to the emergency 24/7 control room to start the recovery process,” said Pierce, adding that the company would immediately activate the tracking device mode

in the hijacked vehicle to live and

dispatch air and ground recovery teams.

After a harrowing ride in the chopper, we arrived on the scene within 15 minutes after the ground recovery team had found the stolen bakkie and also secured a police escort.

At the scene, the helicopter hovered around for a while, ensuring that all was clear.

According to Pierce, his team is trained in tactical response

and undergo regular training to ensure they are well prepared to respond to any theft and hijacking situation.

“All of our recovery agents are compliant with the necessary Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority requirements. We attribute our phenomenal business growth to our successful track record.

“We are so confident in our service that we will pay out a recovery warranty of up to R150000, and recently, up to R1million - in the unlikely event that we are not able to recover the vehicle,” he added.

Pierce said while his company handed over recovered vehicles directly back to their owners where legally possible, the onus was on the customer to report the hijacking or theft incident to the police while the recovery was under way, to enable them to proceed with the law enforcement process.

The recovery was a success and the bakkie was later handed over to it’s rightful owner.

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