UMBILO police have been commended for arresting three men who have been targeting Glenwood High School learners and mugging them for their cellphones.
Heather Roos, chairperson of the Umbilo CPF said there were incidents where boys walking home were mugged by the same men in a similar vicinity on Monday and Tuesday last week. She said the men had obviously been watching the boys and timing when they would leave the school, before approaching them. The men got away with the boys’ cellphones.
“On Monday, two boys were mugged in Brand Avenue, which is a road used as a shortcut by the boys. I received an alert by a woman who said the boys had been hysterical after the incident, and was informed by a resident whose CCTV camera footage showed the incident. I was told the boys at the school were scared to walk home after this. There had been incidents in the community before where school children had been held up and robbed,” she said.
Roos said she contacted Lt Col Stanley Perumall from Umbilo SAPS who said he would inform officers to be on the alert. Roos said she sent the CCTV footage of the vehicle used in the crime to W/O Sibiya from Umbilo SAPS who said he would look into it.
On Tuesday, another three boys were held up and robbed by the men, and again she contacted Sibiya.
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“On Wednesday evening W/O Sibiya contacted me to say they had caught the men. I received messages from residents who said they had seen police searching vehicles in the area, and were impressed by their work. From a CPF side, we want the community to know that they should not generalise about the police. There are good police officers at the station, and for W/O Sibiya and his team, this arrest is just a drop in the ocean of the excellent work they do,” she said.
Capt Pumzile Makaula from Umbilo SAPS confirmed the arrest, and said three men, who were using a taxi in the commission of the crimes, were arrested in Umlazi and near City View Shopping Centre in Stamford Hill.
Roos urged schools in the area to do more safety awareness with learners and to preferably set up walking clubs where learners walk in groups, or ideally to find an adult who could walk with them.
“I am shocked to see young children walking on their own, even in the late evening when it is getting dark. I also urge people to report these incidents as we hear of a lot of cases which are not reported. Talk to the SAPS and the CPF as we take these incidents seriously,” she said.
Commenting on the incidents, Glenwood High School principal, Dr Andri Barnes, said the school had a policy in its Code of Conduct that learners must walk in groups of four.
“We also insist that no cellphones are visible when learners are walking on the street. We also have Blue Security patrolling,” she said.
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