Morning
everyone,
Are you aware of
these incidents? I just received this email now. If the CPF can confirm these
incidents, could you perhaps send communication out
Jackie?
Thanks and
regards
Brigitte
Cell 082 82 034
82
Quite disturbing news!
regards
Paul Botha ☺
Provincial Security Manager: Tshwane, Lesedi and
Tel:+27 011 677 0400
Cellphone: 083 372 1395
email:
Paul.Botha@standardbank.co.za
-----Original Message-----
From: Jacques.F.Wolmarans
[mailto:wolmarans87@gmail.com]
Sent: 07 September 2010 02:55
PM
To: Botha, Paul PA; Riaan
Crafford
Subject: Crime wave hits
Crime wave hits
7 September 2010, 09:09
By Graeme Hosken and Karabo
Seanego
of house robberies and burglaries which have left
residents living in fear.
The crime wave of armed robberies, assaults and
burglaries, has left residents demanding action from police who they claim are
not
interested in their safety.
Police sources and security company ADT have confirmed
an
increase in the number of attacks on households across
the area.
"These guys are operating with impunity and are
attacking homes everywhere. We believe there are a number of syndicates
targeting these areas with
several of them splitting up and attacking different
areas at the
same time," said a
detective.
These syndicates were using various vehicles to commit
their
crimes and specifically targeting cash and luxury
electrical
appliances, he said.
The policeman's concerns have been backed up by ADT.
The
security company confirmed an increase in burglaries and
house
robberies at its clients' homes in Valhalla and
ADT spokeswoman Lizel Swart said they had not noticed
any
specific pattern but there was a clear increase,
especially in the
past three months.
"These attacks are happening throughout the day at
different
times, with a definite increase in the
The increase, claim residents, has them living in fear
of their lives.
For Jameel Bhana the fear is very real. His wife Soomaya
and their
domestic narrowly escaped injury when their house
was
ransacked on August 18 by four men driving a metallic
blue
The two were forced to hide and lock themselves in an
outside
cottage when the gang forced their way into their
home.
"I was cooking when I heard footsteps followed by
an
aggressive knock on the front door. I became suspicious
and
told the domestic that I would not open the
door."
What followed was a terrifying ordeal. The two women
watched
the men using a crowbar to try to break open a security
door
before they smashed open a
window.
"We just heard glass break. Before we knew it they were
in
the kitchen. I quickly called my neighbour and begged
her for
help. I told her to go outside and scream at
them.
"Despite being discovered and the neighbour yelling that
the
police were on their way the suspects continued looting
the
house before they fled."
Jameel Bhana said through his enquiries he had
discovered
several other houses had been burgled by the same
men.
"I spoke to a domestic across the road from the house
that was
burgled in
people who had come into their
home."
Bhana said that home owner had told him that she thought
the
men were contractors but when she heard glass breaking,
she
knew something was wrong.
"She later saw the four suspects carrying items from the
house
and placing them in the blue Toyota Conquest and fleeing
the
scene," he said.
For Sydney Cowley discovering his
and his electrical household appliances missing was
a
nightmare. It appears, police said, that his house was
attacked
shortly after the four-man gang had fleeced Bhana's
home.
"My neighbour saw a car in the driveway and heard
some
banging in the house. She thought it was my father
who
often comes round. But when she saw three men running
out
of the house with electrical goods she activated her
panic
button," said Cowley.
The burglars knew what they were doing, taking the
right
power supply cables for the computer and laptops
and
picking the correct remote for the Play Station
3.
"The community is fed-up. These people come into our
homes in
broad daylight," said
Cowley.
Bhana said he was furious. A policeman who came to
his
house for follow up investigations the next day,
told
him that there were no leads in the case and his docket
had been
"filed".
"I told him about the other burglaries and gave him
a
description of the car, but he said the docket would be
filed
until we could update him with new
leads.
"Why should we update him? Surely he should follow up
the
information we have given
him?"
Wierdabrug police station spokeswoman Captain
Agnes
Huma said they were aware of the crime increases and had
put
a plan in place to target
criminals.
"We cannot divulge that plan. We have had a number of
successes,
which we can also not reveal. "We are appealing to
the
community to assist us in combating burglaries and
house
robberies by ensuring their doors and windows are
locked,
not leaving valuables in cars parked outside their
houses and
burning the boxes of electrical appliances instead of
throwing
them in dustbins.
"We want residents to do this because if criminals
see
appliance boxes they know you have just bought new
goods,
which they will try to
steal."
--
JACQUES.F.WOLMARANS
072 826 3801.