Cape Town - The Edgemead Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) has flagged the intersection on Bosmansdam Bridge, on the off-ramp from the N7, coming from N1/Goodwood as a smash-and-grab hot spot.
The NHW said over the past few weeks it had received at least five confirmed reports of smash-and-grab incidents that had taken place and warned motorists to be vigilant.
It said cases had been reported as recently as Friday last week.
Between 9.30pm and midnight is said to be the peak time when these incidents usually occur.
Edgemead NHW chairperson Dion Williams said initially one incident would be reported from the intersection once a year. However, in the past few months, such incidents had escalated.
“These are opportunistic people who break car windows and at times don’t find anything to steal from the unsuspecting driver, who at times would be busy with their cellphones when they get to the traffic lights,” he said.
Williams said some of the NHW members took it upon themselves to patrol around the intersection between 9pm and midnight to warn motorists and prevent any incidents from taking place. However, he said the members were all volunteers and couldn’t patrol the area every night.
“There could be more incidents, but people don’t report these. Instead they would post on social media or to the NHW only. People have to report these incidents at the Milnerton police station as that side of the road falls under its police precinct.
“Some would say it was only a window that was broken and nothing was taken. However, for these to be included in the crime stats and for a case to be opened and something to be done about them, they must be reported to the police,” Williams said.
The City’s metro police department spokesperson, Ruth Solomons, said the department was aware of the location on the N7 as a number of robberies had been reported.
Solomons said the department liaised with other enforcement agencies, including the police, on a regular basis to address the issue. Metro police officers were deployed to patrol that stretch of road, which formed part of their daily general patrol area.
“If possible, motorists are advised to take alternate routes to their destinations during those times as a safety precaution,” she said.
.