THE Pavilion centre management has responded to a video of an armed robbery that is doing the rounds on social media.
Pavilion general manager, Nisha Kemraj has urged businesses, people, public and private sector security services to join together to fight the crime and violence that is currently plaguing the city of Durban.
“We are as concerned as our shoppers about a spate of robberies that have taken place over the past two months. Although we have made every effort to put in place security systems and security guards and to provide a secure shopping environment, it is inevitable that large shopping malls will always be a target for criminals.
“The Pavilion is just one of a number of local shopping centres to be targeted by criminals who either steal money or vehicles.
“Although by far the largest numbers of incidents are opportunistic, many, such as the incident that was captured on camera, are the result of organized crime,” she said.
Kemraj said the armed robbery victim, who is working with authorities to apprehend the suspects, has decided not to press charges. He has also asked not to be identified.
“Pavilion is an active member of Business Against Crime and that its security manager, Alfred Steyn, was a member of the Business Against Crime forum (KZN) division as well as sits on the KZN Committee.
She added that management also worked closely with the South African Police Services to investigate any unfortunate incidents.
“At this point, we are appealing to people, who in addition to our security personnel, are our eyes and our ears to be aware of risks and to report any suspicious individuals to our security staff. We will be making a concerted effort in the coming months to educate our shoppers and tenants on taking the necessary precautions to avoid being victims of crime,” said Kemraj.
