The past few weeks have been quieter on the crime front in town. According to Joos van der Merwe of Spes-Plan, statistics show a slight decrease in crime compared with the past two years. It follows the normal pattern of decreasing during winter nights.
Van der Merwe says the reason for this is that the nights get too cold for criminal stakeouts. Perpetrators normally watch their targets for a few days before committing the crime, but this is hampered in winter by the low temperatures.
Spes-Plan is, however, expecting that the crime at night will increase from next month as temperatures rise.
Most incidents recorded in the past two weeks are break-ins and theft. Community members are urged to up their routines, ensure that their houses and vehicles are securely locked and that their alarms are activated.
As most thieves look for easy-to-carry and easy-to-sell items, laptops, cellphones, wallets and handbags are likely targets. It is recommended that these items are locked away, especially at night.
Flat-screen televisions are also favourites and the safest is to mount it in a steel frame, bolted to the wall. Also check that your alarm battery is still usable. The battery life of many alarms has been shortened due to load-shedding, which causes them not to recharge properly and ultimately become unusable.
A battery protector can be installed, which switches off the alarm system once the battery power falls below a certain level, but this means that the alarm won’t be activated until power is restored.
The best option, according to Van der Merwe, is to install a stronger battery pack with its own charger that can withstand repeated load-shedding.
In their continuing efforts to root out crime, Hazyview SAPS had an operation on Friday and Saturday around the area. Fifteen men were arrested for illegal gambling and another three for possession of dagga.
Community members are urged to be careful when drawing money at ATMs. As this weekend is month-end, criminals will likely target people who just got paid and carry cash. If you don’t feel safe at an ATM, many supermarkets offer cash@till facilities, where you can get money at till points when paying for groceries.
Motorists were also cautioned not to give strangers lifts at hiking spots, because robbers and thieves have been known to masquerade as hitchhikers.
