through a thick pile of affidavits, it is clear to Lieutenant-Colonel Willem du Plooy that there has been a marked increase in robbery and theft this year.
through a thick pile of affidavits, it is clear to Lieutenant-Colonel Willem du Plooy that there has been a marked increase in robbery and theft this year.
In the past week alone, there have been 10 house break-ins, four of which were houses occupied by students. One burglary in Hodges Street involved a large amount of electronic equipment and clothes.
Although police quickly detained the perpetrators, four out of the five were juveniles and were soon released.
Du Plooy strongly advises citizens “not to encourage street children by inviting them into your premises”. The usual procedure is that they examine your house and report back to older people who then organise the robbery, said Du Plooy.
Generally, when students return from their holiday, there is an increase in robberies, as du Plooy pointed out by drawing attention to 11 motor vehicle break-ins that took place last week.
Regardless of in which area you park your car, all vehicles must be locked up and valuables must be removed. The current target areas are in the town centre and Jacobus Uys Way.
Three further incidents of mugging were reported from people leaving Makaya’s Tavern in Fingo Village. In the first instance a man left the tavern at about 2.30am when he was approached by three men.
After asking for a cigarette, one of the men pulled out a knife and demanded to use his cellphone. Afraid of being stabbed, he quickly complied, handing over his cellphone after which the group disappeared.
In the second incident, three friends left the tavern at 12.35am and by the time they reached the robots at Raglan Road, four men had drawn in from behind.
One of the men stepped forward and beat one of the friends over the head with an empty bottle. At the same time, another man wearing a navy blue and white jacket drew a knife and forced them to give him the alcohol (a six-pack of Esprit) that he was carrying.
Fortunately a taxi arrived and the perpetrators ran away. In the last case a group of friends were leaving the tavern when two men came from the back carrying a switch-blade knife.
They started shouting and swearing, demanding all cellphones and cash, at which point one of the victims made a run for it while the others obediently emptied their pockets.
People must be very vigilant while walking around late at night, said du Plooy. “These patrons often fall victim in the early hours of the morning.”
Fortunately, in the first two cases the police were nearby and quickly arrived to make two successful arrests.
