Post box thief arrested
Last Tuesday morning a man was arrested for theft after Berea police who were on patrol along Stephen Dlamini (Essenwood) Road noticed a suspicious man carrying a blue postbox. “They stopped and questioned him as to where he got the postbox from and he showed them that he had taken it from one of the houses on the road,” explained Lieutennat PN Naidoo, communications officer at Berea SAPS.
Suspect arrested with butcher knife
Berea police were patrolling along Windmill Road last Wednesday when they noticed a suspicious man walking close to Vause Road.
“Constable Erasmus and Student Constable Everton stopped and searched the suspect and found a large butcher knife in his possession. When questioned as to why he is carrying this weapon he could not give a reasonable explanation and was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon,” said Naidoo.
Naidoo said Berea SAPS has a few cases of common robbery reported in the area where a knife was used so police felt it was necessary to charge the suspect.
Take precautions against criminals
Berea police encourage the community to take safety precautions to avoid criminals.
“We at Berea SAPS are concerned and committed to creating a safe and secure environment for all people in South Africa. However, this can only be done if individuals and communities cooperate with the police by volunteering information on criminals and their activities and by people taking responsible steps to ensure their personal safety,” Naidoo said.
According to Naidoo, officers have noticed that the general community is very “relaxed.” “People sit in vehicles till early hours of the morning or approach their vehicles alone after leaving restaurants or clubs at night. They leave property of value exposed in vehicles and some also try to fight off criminals which is very dangerous,” he said.
Good convictions
Detective Constable PT Ngwenya received two good convictions in a robbery case where a suspect was found guilty and was imprisoned for six years and the second was was handed down a fine of R3000 or three months imprisonment suspended for three years for possession of suspected stolen property.
