Spike in car battery theft at North Beach

A SPIKE in car battery theft has bedevilled North Beach residents. Given the limited number of parking bays within beachfront flat perimeters, most residents park along the promenade.

“It’s so upsetting for residents to wake up in the morning to discover they can’t start their car as their battery has been stolen,” said Imtiaz Mansoor, chairperson of the North Beach Community Policing Forum (CPF).

Nearly all makes of cars were being targeted, he added. This was confirmed by Umgeni Road Battery Centre – on one day alone last week, it responded to four cases of car battery thefts near the Blue Waters Hotel.

Some residents suspect an organised gang, but Mansoor reckoned petty criminals were out to make a quick buck. “Guys working the streets have found ways … We’ve seen it on CCTV.”

Mansoor added that although these thefts had become common of late, most people were not reporting them to police. However, it “is important that they do so, as police can put more effective surveillance in place.”

Some residents have taken to removing the car batteries overnight, while others were fitting a chain and padlock to their car battery brackets.

A North Beach resident, one Mr Naidoo, said he had a car battery stolen twice, plus his car radio and spare wheel. “We also saw an increase in cars stolen outside blocks of flats on the promenade this past festive season.”