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Hijacking down by almost half

Many have read with some scepticism recent media reports and statements from both government and the insurance industry that vehicle crime is coming down.

However, the figures according to Tracker’s own records support this welcome news. Based on its customer base of some 300 000 vehicles, it reports that hijacking in South Africa is in fact showing significant signs of decline.
 
At its peak in 1999 hijacking constituted 54% of all Tracker’s activations versus only 31% so far in 2005 – an effective 43% drop in hijacking. An ‘activation’ is the process whereby the Tracker unit in a customer’s vehicle is switched on via the company’s radio/satellite network following a theft or hijacking. It enables air and ground recovery crews to then track and hopefully recover the vehicle.

Indeed, over the past five years, according to its figures, there has been a steady, if not continuous decline in hijacking as a percentage of Tracker’s total activations (see Table 1).

Says Tracker’s Communications Manager, Gareth Crocker, “Although we obviously do not claim that our statistics are a direct reflection of the state of hijacking in South Africa, we do feel they provide a reasonable indication. While we are very encouraged by this trend, we are well aware that the war is far from over: hijacking remains a major problem for the country.”
 
Tracker’s statistics also suggest that vehicle theft in general (including hijacking) is on the decline. “Interestingly, despite our increasing subscriber base our activations have reached a plateau. In other words, as our customer base grows (with between 8 000 and 9 000 new Tracker systems being installed every month) our activations have not increased in proportion. In fact, they have stabilised. This again is an indication, certainly from our base, that vehicle theft is on the decline,” he adds.
 
As for the reasons, he observes, “While we don’t presume to have all the answers, we firmly believe it is a result of a collaborative effort of many different elements. From Tracker’s perspective, we would like to think that in partnership with the South African Police Service our more than 24 000 vehicle recoveries, some 5 200 arrests and the shutting down of almost 250 chop shops and crime syndicates over the past eight years has played a significant role in bringing down both vehicle theft and hijacking. This, together with the contribution of the rest of the Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) industry, is certainly making a difference.”
 
While there are clearly many factors playing a contributing role, Tracker would like to highlight the invaluable work being done by both the South African Police Service and Business Against Crime.
 
Says Michael Sales, SAPS Superintendent of Serious and Violent Crime, “The launch of Project Ngena in Gauteng in 2003 has had a major impact on hijacking. A total of seven specialised task teams were established in the province to focus almost exclusively on hijackings. This was backed up by the formation of eight special courts each dedicated to dealing with cases.
 
“Apart from the additional manpower, one of the key aspects of the project has been the establishment of a central database where information on suspects and cases can now be shared between the various teams. This has enabled us to track criminals and investigate each case more intelligently with regards to trends, modus operandi and crime syndicate activity. We now have the infrastructure to analyse hijacking incidents and investigate cases on a far more detailed basis. Although the project is only running in Gauteng, its effect is being felt around the country.”
 
Lorinda Nel, Business Against Crime Project Manager - Organised Crime, agrees that Project Ngena is a major factor in the decline of hijackings. “Since the launch we’ve seen a notable decline in hijacking from the time when Gauteng accounted for 62% of South Africa’s hijackings.”
 
Each of the seven hijack task teams is headed-up by a co-ordinator and comprises an investigative component, a crime intelligence arm and a rapid response division. The seven teams collectively number more than 250 police officers. Of critical importance has been the formation of the eight dedicated courts. Since their introduction, the conviction rate for hijackers has jumped to 80%. Cases are finalised within three months and the current average sentencing is 12 years. It’s worth noting that in 2004 alone, figures reflect that hijacking has dropped by some 24%.
 
“The key to tackling hijacking is that we continue to get buy-in, not only from the government, but from the communities and private sector. The burden of violent crime shouldn’t rest only on the police and the government. We can all play a role,” explains Nel.
 
“A special incentive programme, in partnership with OUTsurance, has been established for the task teams and individuals who receive rewards and recognition for their achievements.” This, Nel believes, is another reason for their success.
 
There are hopes that initiatives such as Project Ngena will be extended to other regions in due course.

For more information, please contact Tracker’s Communications Manager, Gareth Crocker, on (011) 380-0300 or 082 78 78 757.