Mall robberies worry shoppers

Concern has been expressed over a rising number of brazen armed robberies in broad daylight in malls and shopping centres in Pretoria.

Social media, newspapers and radio stations have been inundated with opinions by residents stating that they were being spooked by the blatant robberies and by the fact that robbers seem to have no fear.

Many suggested that visitors to malls should be searched before being allowed entry.

Police sources, who asked not to be identified, on Monday said that centres seemed reluctant to spend enough money on security equipment and staff.

Early-warning systems, such as metal detectors at entrances of shopping malls, would be considered as a deterrent by robbers, but were in no way a guarantee of safety and security, said Paul Fouchee, chairman of the Brooklyn Community Policing Forum (CPF).

Fouchee said security at all malls and centres in general should be improved, but added that armed security personnel deployed in centres created different problems, especially in the light that they became targets for robbers.

He agreed that some malls were not prepared to spend enough money on security measures and properly trained security personnel.

The latest robbery, on Thursday, saw a shopper being shot and wounded when he tried to apprehend three criminals who had robbed a Scoin shop at the Brooklyn Mall of R1m in gold coins.

Bennie Venter was at the wrong place at the wrong time when he was shot and seriously wounded in the robbery, his brother Sarel said.

This happened shortly after 12:00 as the mall was packed with patrons.

The 43-year-old Venter was right outside the Scoin shop when it was robbed by three armed men.

“When he walked past the shop, the first robber came out. I think my brother’s big size or the gun he carried gave the robber a fright,” Sarel said on Friday.

“The robber grabbed him by his arm. Bennie’s first reaction was to get away and he slapped the robber, who fell to the ground.”

Sarel said Bennie, who works for a security company, was about to draw his firearm to arrest the man.

“The second robber came out and shot my brother. The bullet went through his shoulder, down his back and was lodged behind the liver,” Venter said.

Emer-G-Med spokesperson Braam Kruger said Bennie was stabilised on the scene and taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Venter was at the weekend recovering in the intensive care unit of Unitas Hospital in Centurion and doctors had to drain blood from his lungs.

He was expected to be in the intensive care unit for a few days before being transferred to a normal ward.”

The three armed were still on the run, police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said.

“We are investigating attempted murder and a business robbery,” she said confirming that gold coins to the value of about R1 million was robbed.

Brooklyn Mall spokesperson Michelle Kriek was not available on Monday to answer questions about security at the popular shopping destination.

Fouchee, who was at the scene of last week’s robbery, sought to assure shoppers that they should not be afraid to visit malls and centres.

The police were close on the heels of those responsible for Thursday’s robbery and were making good headway in catching other gangs of robbers.

He said armed security guards in malls were not necessarily the answer as they would become targets for robbers.

“Any security system is only as good as it was being managed,” Fouchee added.

He asked the residents to cooperate with police and to trust the police to do their jobs, adding that they should be vigilant at all times.

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