Durban — A private security company and a Community Policing Forum (CPF) have warned Verulam and Phoenix residents to be vigilant amid rising crime in the two areas.
On Tuesday, Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said crime was on the rise in the Brindhaven, Dawncrest and Waterloo areas in Verulam.
“Reaction officers have attended to armed robberies, home invasions, murders, shootings, housebreakings, hijackings and theft of motor vehicles daily in these residential areas,” Balram said.
He said Rusa, the police and other law enforcement partners would conduct joint operations and high-visibility patrols in an attempt to reduce crime and arrest criminals.
“Residents are to be on high alert and report suspicious activities without delay,” Balram said.
In Phoenix, CPF chairperson Loven Karim emphasised the importance of being vigilant as various crimes were on the rise in the area.
Karim spoke to the Daily News after a private security company recently reported that it had been to more than five house break-ins in a week in the Phoenix area.
Karim highlighted the crimes that were on the rise but also noted the shift from winter to spring.
“Crime has increased, with winter it increases, hopefully now we will see a difference because of spring.”
Karim said there were a few more home invasions and escalated business robberies, mostly tuckshops.
“This is because they open early and close late. Some close as late as 11pm. Thieves have a chance to get (rob) them,” Karim said.
“I have spoken to them about time limits.”
Karim said the CPF was trying to form street committees but communities would say the police were there to protect them.
“I preach to them to be vigilant but some neighbours don’t know each other. So I encourage them to communicate and mingle with their neighbours.”
Karim said copper theft was also increasing. The sugar boys, as they refer to them, steal copper “to survive”.
“There, we’ve seen a drastic increase. Again, our people are not vigilant.”
He said he had knocked at people’s gates but they had not answered.
Karim added that even petty crimes were increasing.
He said that at times, people would say the police were not doing anything and they did not get a response from the police. However, they did not see the work done by the police.
“Phoenix has a new brigadier (station commander) with a zero-tolerance approach and doing a terrific job,” Karim added.
Recently, KZN VIP Protection Services said it had attended to more than five house break-ins over a week ago in Phoenix areas. One of the areas of concern was that the housed did not have monitored alarm systems.
“This has, in turn, allowed criminals to break in and gives them additional time to ransack the home in search of belongings,” KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo said.
“Regardless of the service provider you engage, this is a deterrent and a preventative measure to minimise loss and or damages whereby criminals wouldn’t have as much time to steal due to a response unit being dispatched to investigate an alarm situation.”
Naidoo suggested ways in which the communities could keep themselves and their property safe:
- Have sufficient lighting in the yard.
- Keep yards secured and free from overgrown vegetation and bushes.
- Avoid leaving items of value in the yard as they attract the attention of criminals.
- Exterior beams and sensor lights also work as a preventative and early detection method.
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Daily News