Cables thieves ‘bolder’ as cables stolen outside Lyttelton police station
This is worrying, says ward councillor.
Cable theft has become rampant in Centurion, with thieves even stealing cables right outside a local police station.
Thieves stole cables from the Lyttelton police station last week Thursday evening.
Ward councillor David Farquharson said the problem was particularly dire in the past week with various complexes being left without power.
“These heartless thieves are disrupting good peoples’ lives and putting people, especially those dependent on medical equipment, at risk.
“They are so emboldened that they stole cables next to the police station,” Farquharson said.
“To add insult to injury, the thieves bent the police station sign against one of the power poles where they could reach the cables and pull them down.
“It appears that they used the sign as a ladder to get up to the point where they could reach them,” said Farquharson.
There has been a marked increase in cable theft and load-shedding has only exacerbated the situation.
Farquharson said the CPF only came across the scene of the crime after the thieves had gone.
He hoped that more can be done by the police in the future to curb these thefts from taking place.
“We are going to have a cold miserable winter unless the government does something about this crime.”
Lyttelton police spokesperson Captain Dave Miller said residents should report any suspicious activities in their area and immediately inform local security and CPF as well as the police.
“I would also recommend that all community members become actively involved in their local CPF who will often have direct contact with law enforcement and often ward councillors.
“By being involved with the CPF you have the added advantage of being informed regularly with regards to the crime trends and hotspots in your area,” said Miller.
Miller advised residents to keep an eye out for any warning signs of cable theft.
“The most commonly used modus operandi for cable theft is where the suspects dig trenches to expose the underground cables and then cut and remove them.
“Overline cabling is usually cut and then a vehicle is used to pull the cables down, this is more common in rural and isolated areas.
“The metro police can be contacted to verify if a person or a group of people seen digging in an area, they will have a more direct line of enquiry with the city council to establish if the workers are authorised to be digging.
“The metro police also has a dedicated cable theft unit that deals with this issue,” added Miller.
ALSO READ: Former Tshwane MMC remembered as committed civil servant and loving father
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
