Date posted: March 4, 2024
Dear NeighboursIncrease in Crime Activity
Sadly, the end of the holiday season saw a surge in crime activity involving thefts from vehicles and also properties when residents were either away on holiday or at home but in holiday mode.
Thefts from vehicles included one in the middle of the day on 28 January, when it seems a car lock jamming device was used to steal a phone, wallet and cards from a vehicle in the beach parking lot. Camera footage showed the perpetrators observing that the vehicle owners were well on their way to the beach before approaching the vehicle. Unfortunately, there was not footage that identified their vehicle.
A second vehicle break-in took place at the Common around 17h00 on 10 February, when a parked car had a side-window smashed and a bag taken containing a wallet, cards and ID.
Following both incidents, the bank cards were rapidly used to make online purchases or transfer money. The computer servers that processed the transactions were located well away from the area, suggesting that the perpetrators may be targeting beaches and other parking areas around the peninsula.
Several other incidents may have been foiled on the afternoon of 2 February after a CPNW member approached suspects loitering in the beach parking lot whose number plate had been flagged on the licence plate recognition (LPR) system as associated with similar crimes. We know of at least two other beachgoers who struggled to lock their cars at that time.
In some good news, a German tourist who accidentally left a bag containing his passport, bank cards and camera gear at the beach parking lot had his property returned intact after our cameras identified a vehicle that had driven off with it, which SAPS then tracked down.
Incidents involving properties included a house break-in in Village Lane at around 10h00 on 30 Jan. A window was broken, and items seem to have been sifted through but nothing was reported stolen. In a similar incident, a house window in Nassau Avenue was smashed at around 10h00 on 5 February, and again possessions were rummaged through but none were taken.
On 9 February, at about 13h00, a laptop and gold ring were stolen from an unlocked cottage in Sleepy Hollow Avenue. On the evening of 20 February, two men were seen crossing fences in the Cactus Way area, carrying various gardening tools and a gas bottle that had been stolen from a property. They were apprehended and the goods recovered but they managed to escape before being handed over to SAPS. We also had a report on 9 February of a break-in to an electricity box with the theft of copper cable, presumably during load shedding. These latter incidents came at a time when many residents have noticed an increase in foot traffic in the area. They serve as an important reminder that no matter how well-protected our area may seem, criminals are more active than ever, and when we drop our guard, the chances are that someone is waiting to swoop.
We have responded to this upsurge in crime by alerting both ADT and Deep Blue, and we are working hard with both companies to develop reporting systems and regular meetings to discuss concerns and trends and ensure greater accountability. We are also emphasising that we expect them to see their role as primarily preventative, in partnership with CPNW and SAPS, such that most interventions take place in public spaces rather than merely in response to incidents that have already happened. To this end we are now ensuring that both companies monitor both our overview and LPR cameras and provide reports in response to any suspicious activities that are recorded.
For prevention to succeed it is vital that everyone living in our area understands how crucial it is to report all incidents and even the smallest item of concern.
Buzzer App
In an emergency we encourage the use of the Buzzer app as a highly efficient way of contacting the widest possible range of responders and automatically transmitting your geo-location. For more information on this app and how to use it, please visit our website and click on the Buzzer tab. Another really efficient way of raising the alarm is by radio, but of course these need to be charged and in working order. The channel for radio checks and emergencies is Channel 8.
Patrol Vehicle Numbers
When you notice something potentially suspicious in the area, perhaps your most effective step is to alert the patrol vehicle for the company you subscribe to.
The vehicle contact number for ADT is 078 456 9398 and for Deep Blue it is 076 269 6224. If you are concerned about any follow-up, please contact their control rooms: ADT 082 161 6300 and Deep Blue 061 498 7814. You could also put this on your Connector WhatsApp group or even the Radio Users Group.
When reporting incidents, please do so as soon as possible! We also strongly encourage that you report incidents to SAPS, not only so that their stats reflect the true crime prevalence to motivate for more resources, but also because SAPS have provided some great support in recent months, with cases being resolved and goods returned.
A critical reason to alert CPNW quickly about incidents and specify as narrow a time frame as possible is the use of our cameras. With the increasing road and foot traffic in the area, particularly in daytime, it becomes more difficult to scan long periods of footage, especially without clear information of what to look for! The cameras also have limited storage space, so older footage gets overwritten and lost.
So key elements to think about when reporting include the date, time frame, precise location, description of the perpetrators and/or vehicles, and the clothing the suspects were wearing, particularly shoes and pants (which are less easy to change).
We will be developing a form to make reporting easier, but would be grateful if anyone who has been the victim of a crime in our area makes us aware of it! To report an incident please email it to: crime@cpnw.org.za or report it on our website!
Camera Project
We continue to roll out cameras, with a further three overview cameras set up in the past month, and one of the Avondrust LPR Cameras replaced.
We are extremely grateful to everyone who has come forward to host cameras, and optimistic that improved camera coverage and greater monitoring by security companies will have an impact on our current crime surge.
But we all need to play our part, so please everyone, secure those outbuildings, use perimeter alarms after dark, keep your eyes peeled in the parking lots, and report anyone who seems suspicious – we need to make sure this neighbourhood remains ours!!
The CPNW Committee
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