Increase in smash and grabs sparks community action

A SPIKE in violent smash and grabs in the vicinity of the Jan Smuts Highway and Bellair Road intersection in Durban has prompted the Bonela Community Policing Forum (CPF) to do its own surveillance in a bid to help police apprehend the suspects.

In a recent video circulating on community crime groups a motorist was s seen stopping at the intersection, suddenly a man runs onto the road and smashes the front passenger window. The man is seen putting his whole body through the smashed window and grabbing whatever valuables he could before running off.

Preggy Govender, the chairman of the CPF, said smash and grabs had been occurring in the area for a long time.

“We have our high and low periods but in recent months we have had smash and grab incidents almost everyday. We believe this intersection is a target because it is easy for criminals to escape. The video was one of the latest incidents.”

Govender said the attackers were using stones and spark plugs to smash open the windows.

“There are no specific times that these incidents are happening. It happens at random times. The culprits hang around the intersection and they watch the vehicles. We find that the majority of the victims are women, primarily because they are seen as soft targets who are less likely to fight back.”

He said the smash and grabs had also caused an increase in accidents.

“When a motorist is attacked in this manner, it is so sudden and violent. They panic and try to accelerate so they can get out of the area quickly. But most times they end up crashing into street or traffic lights causing additional damage to their vehicles.”

Govender said he had witnessed about three attacks so far.

“It happens so quickly. On one occasion, I and a few other motorists chased the attackers and they eventually dropped what they stole.”

Govender said the CPF had made a call on social media for victims to come forward.

“We have an idea of who the culprits could be. We are trying to build a strong case against them so we can take the information to police so they can do an intelligence driven operation to catch the perpetrators.

“From these incidents I have found that there is apathy towards crime in South Africa. Communities just stand by and watch crime being committed. I fully support law and order but we must stand together. We also need victims of crime to report what happens to them so police can put in more resources in fighting crime in our area.”

Govender advised motorists to always be vigilant when driving.

“Keep bags and other valuables in your boot. Don’t talk or text on your phone. These simple things can save you from being a victim of a smash and grab,” he added.

Gareth Newham, a crime expert from the Institute of Security Studies (ISS), said smash and grab attacks had been around for as long as anyone could remember.

“These are typically opportunistic crimes carried out by young men. Some are on the path to a career in criminality. They will also be involved in other forms of theft before some of them move onto street robberies and other more serious crimes.

“In some cases, these crimes are carried out by people who are addicted to drugs and need to make money quickly to feed their drug habits. Once an area has been identified as a smash and grab hotspot, it is relatively easy for the police working with the community to put an end to it, ideally through arrests and prosecutions.”

Newham said this was important to ensure that there was a record of these offenders so that if they continued with a life of crime they could be easily identified and traced.

“It is also important, particularly for younger offenders, that they are placed on programmes to divert them from further criminality, or if they are addicted to drugs, to provide them with assistance to address their addiction,” he said.

If you were a victim of a smash and grab in the area call the Bonela CPF on 084 359 3549.

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