Brazen burglars strike while families are home
A BLUFF woman was allegedly tied up in her home while thieves looted her house on Sunday, 15 September.
She was unharmed in the attack, although the thieves fled the area with her personal belongings. The Bluff’s Community Safety Organisation (CSO) received word about the attack in Stableford Road and manager, Rake Jeeves has warned residents in the area to be wary. He said there has been a spike in crime, with numerous reports of break-ins.
“The worrying part is that neighbours are not talking to each other. He neighbours had no idea there had been an attack. Residents need to start communicating with each other in all roads.
The spike in crime is very worrying and there have been many break-ins and quite a few where the intruders have walked into people’s houses even though the people are at home.”
According to Brighton beach SAP communications officer, Captain Louise Le Roux, common robberies, armed robberies, house robberies and business robberies are again sporadically occurring within the Brighton Beach and Clairwood policing areas.
Most seem to happen between 10am and noon. “Due to the trauma suffered by the victims not much information can be provided on the descriptions of perpetrators.”
The modus operandi for common robberies according to Capt Le Roux, did not involve the presentation of weapons and usually involves only one perpetrator on foot. In armed robberies a firearm is predominantly used and there is also usually only one perpetrator again travelling on foot. During a recent business robbery four men with balaclavas used firearms and a vehicle to flee the scene.
She said victims of robberies should comply with the demands of their attacker and don’t make any sudden moves. “Don’t talk to the perpetrator unless you are asked to respond and don’t lie when asked anything. It will upset them if you are caught out and could cost you your life. If possible try to take note of their race, gender, dress code and facial features without being noticed. If a car is used, try to remember the colour, make, model and registration.”
Rake said the areas around Norman and Grenville roads; Sormany, Moss and Maxwell roads and Stableford Road are being targeted. “My advice to people is to lock their doors when they are at home, even during the day because a lot of the intrusions have taken place during the day. People must report everything to the police and we need more people to join the Bluff’s Community Oriented Policing (COP).
Capt Le Roux issued the following safety tips to avoid becoming a victim of these crimes:
* Don’t text or talk on a phone while walking and don’t wear expensive jewellery.
* Avoid staircases and bushy pathways.
* Lock up as soon as entering the home and have a roaming panic button nearby at all times.
* Business owners are urged to condition their security officials and staff to be vigilant of people lingering outside, including those sitting in motor vehicles.
– erinh@dbn.caxton.co.za
