Cape Town Central police station has created a drive-thru option to help victims of car break-ins catch their culprits red-handed. The vehicle booth is set up to make it easier for police to investigate theft out of motor vehicles.
After reporting the crime at the Cape Town police station, victims of car break-ins can then pull up to the vehicle booth in Parade street. According to the commander of the Local Criminal Record Centre, a chain lock is fitted on the driveway in front of the vehicle booth entrance, preventing public entry or public parking. The chain is unlocked when a vehicle is brought in to be investigated.
Officials from the Local Criminal Record Centre will check the car for fingerprints. Investigations typically take half an hour to an hour depending on the nature and extent of the theft. Any fingerprint evidence taken will then be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory and Crime Scene Laboratory in Cape Town for testing.
While the booth has existed since 2013, the Station implemented a 24/7 policy in February 2018. Officers are constantly on shift to aide victims of car break-ins.
