Blende Avenue: Crime and canapés

The crimson wave of crime that is washing over Blende Avenue is matched in its absurd statistics only by the brave resolve of the community.

One of those who are passionate in the war to defend their lives and property is an attractive 30-something mother, wife and career woman, Deidré Tholet. Tholet invites the record to a house gathering on the eve of Heritage Day.

At the gate a small group of neighbours stands chatting, guards and welcomes those who are about to attend.

“Park your motorcycle inside, they will steal it,” is the second thing that is said after greetings.

Inside in the dining room the table is packed with canapés, finger food and cold drinks. There is hardly a seat left among the 20-odd community members who are attending to discuss the crime in the area and solutions to it.

For the residents of Blende Avenue the situation started its downward spiral in September 2013 and now sees up to four incidents on any given day, says Tholet.

All the attendees have been affected directly by crime and of the 56 houses in the street 80 per cent have been targeted.

The neighbours swap stories of how they have been victims, of their latest security upgrades and what happened during the last patrol as if they were exchanging recipes at a Tupperware party.

“I just paid R40 000 for more security gates. That is over and above the shatterproof security windows, burglar bars, armed response and beams in my house. I also belong to the neighbourhood watch and am connected on our WhatsApp group. If they want to come for me now they are welcome to take what I have. I am considering getting teargas and a paintball gun,” says one woman.

A husband and wife tell of how they sleep in shifts – he until 10pm and she until the morning.

The community’s biggest problem, the same as the Helderkruin Hill community, is the valley and ridge between the two areas. The criminals have easy access and plenty of hiding space, and if the heat gets turned up in one area they simply move to the other.

This community is cautiously positive though.

“It started with common courtesy. An invite here. A visit there. We realised that we are under attack and that the only way for us to survive is to stand together. The positive thing that has come from the crime situation is that we have grown close. We all know each other’s names. We talk, we visit. We get together for street braais and we have learned to ask questions when we notice the slightest detail out of the ordinary,” says Tholet.

“We have realised this is our area. We have learned to be vigilant, to care and to take an active interest,” says another passionate resident.

According to the group they realise that the police do not have the resources to patrol their area as much as they would have liked, yet they have the highest praise for Warrant Officers Gert van Deventer and Danny Pieterse. They add though that these two stalwarts’ hands are tied.

When asked what advice they have for residents who suffer the same fate they rattle it off like machine gun fire. Join the neighbourhood watch. (Blende Avenue’s best friends are the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch.) Join a security company. (DMS security, JC Security, Dowry and Apcan are active and favoured in the street). Get a radio system. Start a WhatsApp group. Know your neighbours in the whole street. If you just bought a flat-screen television do not put out the packaging with the rest of your rubbish as you are advertising to the criminals. The list goes on and on.

When asked how they felt about the fact that in the past year the government has spent R70 billion on policing and citizens have spent another R70 billion on private security, one man snorts.

“When I phoned the police they told me they do not have a vehicle.”

“They took 15 minutes to spell the name of my complex,” adds another neighbour.

At the end of the meeting Tholet says that since the neighbours have started growing close and getting involved actively in each other’s lives, they have peace of mind despite the fear still lingering.

The symbolism of the canapés as a tool against crime only becomes clear after you witness the power of a community caring about each other.