AN emergency meeting between security companies and the police was held on Wednesday last week after a pair of armed men terrorised residents in a spree of robberies and attempted hijackings in Van Riebeeck Park, all in one morning.
According to DA councillor Jaco Terblanche, the intervention meeting with the Van Riebeeck Park community sector forum, Norkem Park SAPS and private security companies MML Security and PHS COPS Security, was held that same night to discuss intervention methods and possible solutions to prevent such incidents from happening.
“Several suggestions were made during the meeting, including fixing the street lights on Loretha Street, where two of the incidents occurred,” Terblanche said.
“There are also dark corners in the area and spot lights were named as a solution. Residents around Christoffel and Rooikrans streets have requested extra street lighting, for which I have sent an email to the electricity department to request the lighting.
“Norkem Park SAPS, MML Security and PHS COPS have promised to jack up patrols in the area and hope to bring Alpha Security on board too.”
According to Terblanche, the community wants to start their own street patrolling.
The meeting follows several robberies and attempted hijackings in Van Riebeeck Park and Birchleigh on the morning of July 9, the first one occurring at 4am.According to MML Security, Alpha Security and Norkem Park SAPS communications officer, W/O Mahlodi Langa, the incidents, three in Van Riebeeck Park and one in Birchleigh, all occurred between 5.45am and 6.10am. The same car, a silver grey Toyota Yaris, was involved in all four incidents and the suspects made away with R25 000 worth of goods, including cell phones, a tablet, car and house keys.
In an incident at 5.45am on Blouberg Street in Van Riebeeck Park, Langa confirmed a man was robbed at gunpoint of his two Blackberry cell phones, a Samsung Tablet, wallet, car and house keys.
The victim was approached by two armed men driving a Toyota Yaris, who demanded his valuables, which were estimated to be worth R10 000. The victim was left unharmed.
The next incident occurred 15 minutes later at about 6am on Ferreira Close in Birchleigh.
“The victim said he was standing outside his yard by his vehicle, when he saw a silver-grey Toyota Yaris pass by. It made a U-turn shortly after it had passed his home,” Langa said.
“It then drove straight to him and two armed men got out of the car and robbed him of his Samsung cell phone and office and house keys. The valuables are estimated to be worth R8 000.”
In the last two incidents, the men attempted to hijack a parent who was dropping off his son at a créche on Loretha Street and also attempted a hijack a car on the same street at about 6.10am.
The incident at the house happened a few minutes before the créche incident. MML Security responded to the call and confirmed that the suspects were armed but they did not get away with the vehicle.
According to Alpha Security, they responded to a call from Blouborsie on Loretha Street, where two armed men attempted to hijack a parent who was dropping a child off at the school.
The Alpha officers arrived at the scene after the robbers had fled. According to an Alpha officer one shot was fired at the guard who works at the pre-school.
According to Langa, the suspects got away with the man’s two Blackberry cell phones, estimated to be worth R17 000.
Cases of armed robbery and attempted murder have been opened.
Langa asked Van Riebeeck Park residents to be extra vigilant as the suspects seem to be targeting the area.
The two IsiZulu speaking men, who are estimated to be between the ages of 25 and 35 years, use a grey Toyota Yaris vehicle and target their victims in the early hours of the morning, mostly between 5.30am and 6am. They usually steal items such as cell phones, wallets and keys.
