Hard to spot well-heeled criminals

Well-heeled criminals are now hard to spot as they blend in with residents.

Ferndale resident Byron Linsell was shocked when he saw the footage on his CCTV camera from the front of his house.

“Two male occupants pulled up in a new white Honda Jazz and one of them climbed out and rang my doorbell to see if anyone was home on 15 October. A couple of hours later my neighbour’s house in Vine Avenue was broken into,” he said.

He mentioned that the suspect who rang his doorbell was a very large man and he reported the incident to the police and sent images of the suspect to them. “Luckily my neighbours were not home during the break-in.”

Ward 104 councillor Mike Wood said, “We used to believe that criminals drove around in old cars and you could easily notice them. This notion is no longer in practice as more and more criminals are blending in and driving around in newer vehicles.”

Warrant Officer at Randburg Police Station, James Swann, warned residents to be extremely vigilant as crime levels rise before and during the festive season. He said, “Residents need to be aware of their surroundings and they need to pay attention to strange vehicles driving around in their suburbs. A common mistake that people make is they just drive into their yards before their gates are completely closed and this gives criminals a gap to get in. Residents should also activate alarms and close windows when they are not home.”

Wood concluded, “People must get to know their neighbours and exchange contact details, be aware of movements and have the sector vehicle’s number close at hand.”

Details: Sector 4 vehicle numbers 071 675 7121 and 071 675 7122.