My Take: Warning is nothing to ‘snort’ at

ONE has to wonder whether there is any other town in South Africa where its citizens are prepared to shower its crime fighters with food in appreciation for a “job well done”.

Umdoni homeowners have been hard hit by housebreakers of late. Even Pennington’s celebrity holidaymaker Steve Hofmeyr was a victim.

(By the way, in response to readers’ queries, his case made front page last week because everyone knows his name.)

Captain Ivan van Wyk probably won’t like the label “Super Cop”, but that’s how many in Scottburgh see him after his post on facebook which gave a not-so-subtle warning to some of Scottburgh’s leading citizens who are allegedly “sniffing white powder up their noses”.

Whether these ‘pill-ars of society’ will be named and shamed or brought to book remains to be seen, but the warning must certainly be inspiring them to think twice before supporting their regular suppliers.

While Ivan is being hailed as the hero, he would be quick to point out that he is not alone in this on-going fight against housebreaking, linked to wide-spread drug abuse.

Even private security companies like Magma, Chubb and Jenson Security are coming in for praise for working hand-in-hand with the SAPS.

Many citizens recognise this and have promised to deliver home-baked cakes and muffins to these crime fighters on a regular basis.

(Movies tell us American cops enjoy ‘bearclaws’ – doughnuts – so it might be a good idea to throw in a few of those as well.)

What is refreshing about the strategy is that these lawmen are not just fighting the “symptoms”, but they are determined to stamp out the main cause which is drug addiction.

Drug dealers, all users (including “socialites”, it seems) as well as the receivers, sellers and buyers of stolen goods are being targeted relentlessly.

Good luck to our crime fighters. The Mail also salutes you and looks forward to publishing more success stories. Criminals need to know that there are no easy pickings in Umdoni.