CRIME-FIGHTING Glenwood residents working together with Blue Security arrested two criminals, including a hijacker, who were handed over to the police last week.
Blue Security operations director Henk van Bemmelen said residents and reaction officers had added the two latest arrests to a recent string of arrests in the area.
“Residents, police and security companies are sending a strong message to every type of criminal that they are not wanted and will not be tolerated in the suburb,” van Bemmelen said.
He said residents had called Blue Security to the scene of a hijacking in Maze Road in Glenwood last Tuesday where neighbours had rushed out of their homes at night to help track down the perpetrator.
“A motorist who was visiting his sister was approached in the driveway of a property by a man who was hiding something underneath his shirt. He threatened to shoot the motorist and demanded the car keys before fleeing,” Van Bemmelen said.
However, Van Bemmelen said the motorist had screamed for help and alerted several neighbours who ran to the scene, chased and caught the hijacker before calling Blue Security to assist at the scene of the crime. The hijacker was handed over to the Umbilo SAPS.
In a separate incident Van Bemmelen said an intruder was arrested for trespassing in Pitcairn Road in Glenmore after he was spotted jumping fences between properties. He was handed over to the Umbilo SAPS who attended the scene.
“When law abiding citizens start taking action against petty criminals for incidents such as trespassing and theft out of yards they are sending the signal that they are serious about tackling crime. It’s also important to remember that all an intruder needs to slide into more serious crimes like housebreaking and robbery is simply the opportunity. By arresting criminals for crimes like trespassing we can avert these more serious incidents,” van Bemmelen said.
He said residents are becoming more vigilant and proactive when it comes to sounding the alarm regarding crime in the suburb.
“It’s only by working together with residents, the police and security companies that we can win the fight against crime and make our suburbs feel safe again as they should be,” he said.
