Cape Town motorists have been warned to be vigilant on the roads as yet another area has been added to the already long list of smash-and-grab hotspots.

Areas known for smash-and-grab attacks – when car windows are smashed while moving slowly, parked or in heavy traffic and valuables are stolen out of the car – are Bonteheuwel (Jakes Gerwel Drive and Bluegum Street), Elsies River (35th Street and Owen Road) and Dunoon (Malibongwe Drive). Now three areas in Parow have been added to that list.

The Parow Community Policing Forum (CPF) says new hotspots motorists should be aware of are the intersections of Voortrekker Road and De la Rey Street; Jan van Riebeeck Drive and Voortrekker Road; and Jan van Riebeeck Drive and Jan Smuts Road. Bronwin Daniels, CPF chair, says they are concerned about the ongoing smash-and-grab incidents occurring at these intersections.

“Criminals target motorists who leave valuables visible in their vehicles or who become distracted while waiting at traffic lights,” Daniels says.

Motorists are urged to keep valuables out of sight; to avoid using cellphones at intersections; to keep windows closed where possible and to remain alert and aware of their surroundings.

“Crime prevention starts with awareness. Stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police or your local safety structures. Together, we can reduce opportunities for criminals and make our roads safer for everyone,” says Daniels.

The City of Cape Town has stated previously that smash-and-grab has become a problem on our roads.

The newest warning comes a week after the release of the latest crime statistics for the Western Cape province.

According to the statistics for the fourth quarter (January to March this year), theft out of motor vehicles decreased. During January and March this year 114 cases were reported, while a total of 128 cases were reported during the same three-month-period last year.

Hotspots

In July last year the City said based on the statistics from the metro police’s CCTV network between the period of July 2024 and May 2025, most smash-and-grab incidents happen in the late afternoon and early evening, and that the frequency increases over weekends.

It said the corridor between Bonteheuwel and Langa remains the biggest hotspots and that based on reports to the Public Emergency Communications Centre (PECC), other prominent areas based on the location data include Leonsdale, Beaconvale, the Foreshore, Elsies River Industria, Epping Industria, Milnerton and Philippi.

“Most of the areas with the highest number of reports are in close proximity. Furthermore, the trend shows that these opportunistic criminals strike when people are perhaps less vigilant after a long day at work and stuck in peak-hour traffic, or it is a weekend when they tend to be more relaxed and the odds increase of valuables like shopping bags on backseats,” JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security, said at the time.

He added: “Before setting off on your journey, check that all of your valuables are in the boot of the vehicle and that all the doors are locked and the windows closed. Resist distractions like checking your phone while stationary at an intersection, or in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and keep your wits about you at all times.”

– Report smash-and-grab cases to the City of Cape Town’s PECC on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone, or your nearest police station.

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