Over R300 000 worth of goods stolen
"The vandals gained access to the property by cutting the fence and breaking the lock on the station room door," read the report.
An incident of theft and vandalism occurred when alleged mischief-makers gained access to a switching station at Albert Wessels Sreet on August 4, according to reports from the Newcastle Municipality.
“The vandals gained access to the property by cutting the fence and breaking the lock on the station room door,” read the report.
DC batteries used to control the protection system and three 11kV breakers were stripped and stolen.
“A single breaker costs more than R100 000. This particular switching station is a strategic station routing electricity to the industrial area.”
The incident occurred shortly after Municipal Protection Services and police apprehended three suspects in the possession of a municipal cable at Lennoxton on July 25.
The public is encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the SAPS. Further, the community is urged to treat electrical apparatus and equipment as live and dangerous.
The municipality has made a point of increasing security measures to secure its assets and clamp down on vandalism and theft.
