AN analysis of festive season crime by Enforce Security has revealed that so called “fishing” incidents – the theft of goods through an open window – are on the rise in the greater Durban area. The holdiayperiod also saw increases of residential and business robberies and burglaries, hijacking, and theft of, and out of, motor vehicles.
Nico Potgieter, Head of Investigations at Enforce, said crime analysis was essential to the security company’s fight against, and investigation of, crime, and allowed them to not only keep up to date with the latest modus operandi but also predict likely crime trends.
Enforce crime analyst Caitlin Naylor said “fishing” posed greater security risks than just the thefts of the items. She said people were in the habit of leaving valuables such as keys, bags, and cell phones on tables, allowing criminals to “fish” these items out through open windows.
“One of the dangers of this is, of course, that offenders now have your car, house, and gate keys, which allows them to easily steal your vehicle, or even enter your house.”
Other common modus operandi for house breakers and burglars over the holiday season were the cutting of fences, entering homes through open windows and gaining entry via roofs.
Overall, Naylor said, crime in December 2015 saw a significant increase in comparison to the same period in previous years.
“Residential and business burglaries increased dramatically, along with theft out of motor vehicles and armed robberies. This is not surprising as these kinds of crimes are characteristic of the festive season due to the closing of businesses, residents going away on holiday and leaving their homes unattended, increased foot traffic in shopping centres and public places, and people being less vigilant.”
She said Enforce statistics showed that theft out of motor vehicles increased by about 18%, burglaries by about 30%, and robberies by about 20%.
