CrimeWatch report for Saturday 4th February

FROM: Alan Espey. 8 Pentrich Road, St James (Project Engineer for Civils 2000).

I would like to report the following incidents :

1)    Early hours of Wednesday morning 1 Feb.  Mountain bike stolen from open verandah at 3 Pentrich Road (Bangaloo Cottage).  Angie McGuire who rents Bangaloo with her husband Alan, only discovered the missing bike at about 06:00 but remembers hearing some noises outside the house in the early hours of the morning.  Unfortunately her beloved staffie, Pinda, passed away just before Christmas.  If she had been in her normal sentry position on the verandah there is no way that this would have happened!  Angie found the training wheel which is mounted on a stand abandoned on Danger Beach a bit later that morning.

2)    Two separate incidents of attempted theft of CCTV camera cable on our roadworks (Civils 2000) at 16:00 on Thursday afternoon (2 Feb) and again on Friday afternoon (3 Feb) at about the same time.  In both cases the respective perps were caught and arrested by the Mountain Men after only managing to cut the cable which is relatively easily repaired.  Thank you to Michael and Charles of Mountain Men for their quick response to the panic button alarm triggered by our 24/7 camera surveillance team based at the Civils 2000 site offices at Dalebrook.
If only these unfortunate people would realise that when they attempt to cut the cable the affected camera is immediately de-activated following which our staff have strict instructions to trigger the alarm immediately.

FROM: Yvonne Viljoen. St James Road, St James.

On Saturday morning 4 February I found a black bag concealed in the garden on the Main Road opposite the bottom of Rodwell Road. The bag is tied closed but it has some tears in it and it appears to contain woman’s clothing; blue denim and a pink fabric with a fringe is showing.

I have not opened the bag, so I cannot say what else is in it;  but it is probably all clothing. I reported it to Mountain Men and I was advised to take the bag to the police station.

If anyone would like to contact me about this, they are welcome: yv3@mweb.co.za    My phone number is 021 788 5620.

FROM: Stephan Birch, Main Road, Kalk Bay

We have recently had some activity in the early evening, neighbours dog 3 doors away [Kalk Bay side] barking and then ours. Movement is along the fire break, just after dusk, and then repeated at about 3 or 4 am..
Mountain men confirm that activity is moving to mountain side, and many properties are unprotected from that side. Perhaps a type of Shark watch can be discussed.

The notice below has been put out by Mountain Security

We would like to bring to your attention about a new crime trend that is currently taking place from Zwaanswyk to Kalk Bay, at the base of the Silvermine and Lakeside Mountain range.

Home invasion criminals are at work, more often at night and on weekends when homes are more likely to be occupied. This criminal element is using the Mountain / Greenbelt areas to gain access to properties that are at the base of the Mountain.

Please be very aware of your surroundings and become more alert and security conscious.  Please ensure that your alarm systems are working and outdoor intruder detection systems are switched on, especially at night.

CrimeWatch report for Friday 3rd February

FROM: Delene Burman. Westray Steps, St James.

On Sunday 29 January between 9 am and 11.15 am the flat above my garage was entered by thieves who had a long ladder to climb up to a small kitchen window. They stole a computer in its box, a cell phone and cash from a purse. They left R100 in the purse.
Mountain Men were quick and arrested 2 men and a woman with a child in a stolen car with the stolen loot before lunch that Sunday.
The same morning a thief entered 111 Boyes Drive. The owner entered the house with a golf club and saw the cupboards open. Upstairs he saw one man jumping off his balcony and watched him run through the bushes.

FROM: Dawn Garisch. Windsor Road, Kalk Bay.

Following the break-in and theft of my laptop and other items, it took over a week for the fingerprint detective to arrive. He expressed his frustration, as the fingerprints he found were by then too degraded to use. He claims that his department is on standby to take fingerprints on the same day as the crime, and that the delay in notification occurs at the police station. I am going to lay a complaint, and for the members of this forum, note that if you have a burglary you need to insist on the fingerprinting people coming to your home asap.