A security company and the SAPS warned about a spike in crime in Malvern and surrounding areas over the last month.
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According to Fidelity ADT dominant crimes in the areas include house burglaries and theft, theft out of motor vehicle and common robberies.
Cleveland SAPS spokesperson Capt Johan Jordaan agreed that crimes such as robbery with a firearm, theft of motor vehicles, residential burglaries and murder have escalated in the Malvern area.
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“This was measured against May 2018. Theft out of and from a motor vehicle, business burglaries, common robbery, and carjackings stabilised. While theft general, business robberies, house robberies, rape and common assault went down,” said Jordaan.
Community development manager Natasha Springfield said most incidents seem opportunistic.
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“There’s no particular pattern in terms of times of the day. These crimes are taking place but we can see that in several instances people have forgotten to arm their systems or activate their beams,” said Springfield.
She said theft out of motor vehicle are often due to drivers parking their vehicles on the street when visiting, instead of inside the property.
“Common robberies and robbery with a firearm happen randomly on the street because victims often unwittingly expose their possessions such as cellphones,” she said.
Springfield urged the Malvern community to remain alert and vigilant at all times and provided three safety tips to keep in mind:
• Ensure your alarm is armed at all times. Make sure that everyone within the household, including domestic staff, know when and how to use the alarm system and panic buttons if these are installed. They should also know who to call in case of an emergency. Make a list of contact numbers and display them near a phone. If you have not been informed of the arrival of delivery people or service providers, do not open the door, even if they insist that they have an appointment.
• Make sure you are not distracted when out on the street or in a shopping centre. Do not use earphones or text on your phone in full view of passersby.
• Keep your boot locked at all times and don’t drive with valuables in your car that can be seen through the window. Rather lock these items in the boot.
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