Beware: ‘Secret Santas’ have started shopping

THESE ‘Santas’ don’t normally come down the chimney, but smash their way in through a window.

In other words, brace yourselves for the usual festive season rush of unwanted ‘shoppers’ who prefer the dead of night to help themselves.

There are already signs that they are keen to shop till they drop in Port Shepstone and surrounds – including Oslo Beach, Marburg and Albersville.

The number of housebreaking incidents for the month has increased and security companies are on high alert.

Grateful residents have praised these companies which have visibly jacked up patrols, but they are questioning why the SAPS hasn’t followed suit yet.

One resident asked: “How often do you see police patrolling your neighbourhood?”

He pointed to several houses in Oslo Beach having been burgled recently and a business in Marburg robbed on Wednesday.

“There are too many people loitering around the streets by day and night. When we notice anyone suspicious, we contact our security company rather than the police as they take forever to respond,” he said.

A case in point, he said the police took ages to respond to a robbery at a service station in Marburg, also on Wednesday).

A group of six men armed with hand guns, pounced on a convenience store at a petrol station at about 4.35am. The men held up the cashiers and emptied the till of a small sum of cash.

The station commander of Port Shepstone, Brigadier Sandra Nala, has promised to investigate.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Zandra Wiid also said: “It is unacceptable and this kind of behaviour by police members will not be tolerated, especially when serious crimes are taking place.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Wiid confirmed that burglaries in residential areas had shown an increase in Oslo Beach.

“Whilst doing patrols and attending to a complaint, officers from the Port Shepstone Crime Prevention Unit and K9 Unit saw two suspicious men walking on the main road in Oslo Beach. They were carrying a plastic container and a laundry basket. They were stopped by police and found to be carrying clothing and shoes. We suspect that the items were stolen during one of the burglaries on Tuesday night this week,” she said.

On Sunday, a 31-year-old man was arrested for possession of stolen property in Albersville. He was carrying a plastic container with a blue truck sail hidden inside. He was charged, appeared in court, but is currently out on bail.

In another case, a man  was arrested by crime intelligence officers and K9 officers at the Port Shepstone taxi rank on Tuesday this week. He was in possession of a flat screen TV and 49 cellphones.

“We are trying to be as visible as we can, especially in our hot spot areas. We also have specialised teams in place to deal with serious crimes. We work hand in hand with security companies, CPFs and business owners to try and bring these perpetrators to book,” said Lt-Col Wiid.

The community is urged to report anything suspicious to the police immediately.

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