Car and house break-ins are on the rise in Hatfield. The Hatfield City Improvement District (Cid) chief operation officer of security, Danie Basson, confirmed this on Tuesday after Cid officers arrested five men who were allegedly members of a syndicate that had committed a series of crimes in the area.
The suspects, between the ages of 20 and 27, were caught in possession of suspected car break-in equipment, an unlicensed firearm and ammunition as they were about to exit the shopping centre on the corner of Burnett and Hilda streets last Friday.
It is believed that the suspects have been involved in crimes such as car and house break-ins and theft of motor vehicles.
Basson explained that Cid officers had seen the suspicious men and had decided to monitor their movements when they saw them on the corner of Prospect and Hilda streets.
The suspects eventually noticed that they were being monitored.
They got into their luxury BMW and drove it to a parking lot in the nearby shopping centre.
“It seemed as if the suspects were trying to avoid the officers. They parked their vehicle in the parking lot and remained inside the car for a while before they decided to move out,” Basson said.
Security officers and police, who had already been alerted, apprehended the men.
“Car and house break-ins are our priority in the area. Lots of house burglaries take place on the eastern side of Duncan Street,” Basson said.
He said that theft out of motor vehicles and of motor vehicles normally took place around the University of Pretoria.
“There are a number of UP students who park their vehicles outside the university because of the lack of parking inside the institution and this puts them in danger of becoming victims of crime,” Basson said.
“Thieves have told us on numerous occasions that after being arrested, they return to Hatfield because the area has many opportunities to commit crime,” Basson said.
Negligence often also plays a role in these crimes. Some motorists leave their valuables, such as laptops, cell phones and GPSs, visible on the car seats, making it easy for opportunistic thieves to strike.
