Being burgled at home while you’re asleep is bad enough. Having your laptop stolen in that raid takes a person’s distress to another level.
For Hill 60 resident Bruce Maclean, it was catastrophic.
“The impact was devastating,” he wrote in a Facebook post. Especially as my laptop had in excess of 314 000 files.”
The burglars struck in the early hours of 17 February while the household was fast asleep. The stole two laptops, car keys, wallets, bank cards and other items.
“Morning coffee at 5.30am and the sudden realisation that life as you knew it had changed,” Maclean wrote. “I won’t elaborate on all the details, but the impact was devastating, especially as my laptop had in excess of 314 000 files.”
Then a whole lot of things went right, starting with the heroes of this story – officers from the Grahamstown Police Station.
“The case was reported and within fifteen minutes the police arrived,” Maclean wrote.
An intense few hours followed in which phone messages indicated the thieves were trying to withdraw from one of the bank cards they had stolen. With the assistance of the police, Maclean made a court application to get camera footage of the ATM.
Captain Jurgens Gouws of the Grahamstown Detectives contacted Maclean to tell him he had a team on the case, headed by Constable Yibanathi Dlakwe.
Using GPS locations in a race against time from that Thursday night to that Sunday, Constable Dlakwe worked solidly on the case – “day and night right into Sunday evening 11pm” – giving up his third wedding anniversary on the Sunday.
One laptop was recovered on Sunday night and the other on Monday morning. A week later, Constable Dlakwe recovered Maclean’s car keys in the bush near the railway line at Hill 60. The police also recovered the family’s ID documents and bank cards.
Both suspects remained in custody after Constable Dlakwe successfully opposed bail.
“Damn… one needs to understand how appreciative you are for this effort, as these criminals do not comprehend what this does to a person and how long it takes to recover,” Maclean wrote. “These things move so fast.
“While we all sit in distress about our water, and complaints around service delivery, I felt it necessary to write this post. Sometimes amidst all the darkness, a ray of light shines through so brightly that recognition is so deserved. Often these are passed by without mention.
“I bow to you guys, for the work done, and I hope the community appreciates that there are those who are so committed and passionate about what they do.”
He especially thanked Constable Dlakwe, Captain Gouws and his team and Sergeant Manyati, who had kept the case moving on Thursday until 10pm that night.
“I certainly hope and trust that Grahamstown can be appreciative of the work you do,” Maclean wrote.
