Theft of gate motors continues to be a risk in the Wilropark, Weltevreden Park Witpoortjie, Krugersdorp, and surrounding areas.  

Charnel Hattingh, Group Head of Marketing & Communications at Fidelity ADT says this has been an ongoing problem in the area. She says there is a thriving black market for gate motor parts. “Stolen gate motors are either stripped down and its various components (batteries, gearboxes, etc.) sold individually or they are sold as complete units to unsuspecting homeowners by these “access automation bandits” as they are often referred to.”  She says there is also a worrying trend of suspects deactivating the gate motor and accessing the property while on manual override.

Another concerning trend is the theft of tyres from parked cars, specifically in the Weltevreden Park area.

“In our experience, we have found that security measures like electric fences, detection beams, and Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) are still key deterrents to crime, as are pets, for homeowners small dogs that sleep inside the house are seen as a deterrent. How secure your neighbourhood is, is also a meaningful factor. If robbers are scouting carefully, they will view regular patrol and a strong neighbourhood watch system as a good reason to move on,” she says.

Here are some useful tips for safeguarding your gate motor against theft and your property against a home invasion: 

Ensure that your gate motor is secured in a steel casing or bracket that is always locked. Suspects often just place their hands through the gate if your gate motor is unsecured and installed right next to a “palisade-type” gate”.  They can then switch the gate to manual and access your property.

Make use of a good quality lock to secure the motor’s theft-resistant cage. Preferably opt for an insurance-rated padlockInstall adequate anti-lift brackets and weld a piece of flat bar onto the gate rack to prevent thieves from bending the rack upwards.

 Combine mechanical anti-theft systems, such as traditional theft-resistant cages, with electronic notification devices, for example, sound bombs and GSM units which can send notifications to users when the device’s inputs are triggered. 

“Your electric gate should be one of the first perimeter deterrents to protect you from crime. We need to do our bit to reduce crime by making it harder for criminals. Safeguard your gate motors!” concludes Hattingh. 

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PREPARED ON BEHALF OF FIDELITY ADT BY CATHY FINDLEY PR. CONTACT JACQUI MOLOI ON 0717648233 OR EMAIL JACQUI@FINDLEYPR.CO.ZA