Mr John Meintjies from Nelspruit Concerned Citizens (NCC) also asked residents to report incidents of crime as soon as possible, be it via the Zello channels or to any of the security companies.
“Sometimes, we receive reports 40 minutes after the incident has taken place. There is not much we can do then,” Meintjies said.
On Friday one of the NCC patrollers spotted four suspicious-looking young males scouting vehicles for valuables in Bell Street. As the patroller approached the area for a second time, the suspects grabbed a bag from a car and ran in the direction of Shoprite.
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According to Meintjies, “Due to the swift reaction by the patrollers and other security companies which responded to the call, the suspect decided to drop the bag and disappeared into the busy crowd. A large amount of cash was recovered and handed back to the owner.”
He added that it is was incredibly important to make sure that doors were indeed locked and that drivers did not leave valuables lying on the seats or where they were visible to passers-by.
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On the same evening ACS Security, in conjunction with Divergent Ops, arrested four illegal immigrants in a sting operation in the city. Members of NCC had reported activities by suspicious men in a park, and ACS and Divergent Ops responded to the request for backup.
On Saturday a break-in was reported at Macsteel in Bosch Street via the NCC Zello channel. The incident had allegedly happened during the night. The SAPS were contacted. A large number of steel reinforcement bars was stolen. Members of the public are urged to be on the lookout for anyone trying to get rid of the stolen goods and to report the matter.
Two more break-ins were called in on Sunday, one in Sheppard Street and another in Acacia. In both incidents, a laptop was stolen. In the first case, and upon thorough investigation, the stolen laptop was found hidden behind an air-conditioning unit and the SAPS were contacted to open a case.
The second was an attempted break-in or theft which was reported in the early hours of the morning. A laptop had been taken through an open window but the suspect was spotted by Hi-Tech guards. He dropped the laptop when he was pursued.
According to Meintjies, it was fished through the window with a long rod. A marker against a tree in front of the house was also spotted. “Because we have had warmer temperatures, we advise residents not to leave windows open at night. Alarm systems do not easily pick up sticks. Rather use a fan for ventilation,” he advised. NCC thanked Community Against Crime patrollers for reporting the incident and the SAPS for responding so quickly.
Mr Jacques Meiring of Divergent Ops said this is the time of year when criminals are especially opportunistic.
“Criminals are on the lookout for people who are not alert or aware. People must remain vigilant at all times,” he concluded.
