Sunninghill Community Security is celebrating a job well done after Savika security officers managed to apprehend the driver of a vehicle, wanted in connection with a number of incidents of common robberies in Johannesburg, on the weekend of 7 October.
Members of the Savika team, who have a large presence in the Sunninghill area, had been informed by the Sandton police to be on the lookout for a vehicle with a certain registration number.
The crimes committed involved pedestrians – people waiting for Ubers or Gautrain busses who would be robbed when the vehicle stopped next to them, and an occupant would jump out and grab any valuables, such as phones or handbags from the pedestrians before driving off.
“Some [of the people who commit this sort of crime] are armed, some are not,” said Linda Gildenhuys, chairperson of Sunninghill Community Security.
“The vehicle in question entered a shopping centre [in the area] where a Licence Plate Recognition [LPR] camera exists.
“The LPR camera alerted Savika to the fact that this vehicle had entered, and the Savika Reaction vehicles were dispatched, blocked the vehicle and the police were called. They then took the vehicle and its occupant to the police station.”
She warned residents to be aware of their surroundings, and be wary of wearing expensive jewellery when driving and walking around.
“We should all play our part in reducing crime. There are many crimes that could be avoided if residents were alert and took precautions.”
Meanwhile, during the same period, there were also three housebreakings in the area. The first occurred in Faraday Road on 7 October while the homeowners were out of town. Criminals forced their way through a pedestrian gate and the house’s front door. A TV and other small items were taken before security officers arrived on the scene.
The other two incidents occurred in the Badger Park area on 8 October, and Gildenhuys believes criminals entered the area on foot from the K73 Provincial Road Reserve.
Gildenhuys added that in the case of the first housebreaking, CCTV cameras captured footage of the vehicles entering and exiting that road on the said day.
“These [vehicles] were narrowed down to exclude residents’ vehicles. We then found a vehicle that entered the street some five minutes or so before the [house] alarm activation and exited straight after the alarm.
“This information was given to the Sandton police for further investigation and a picture of this same vehicle was given to the dedicated [Savika] patrol cars should it return.”
Details: www.sunninghillnews.co.za; Sandton Saps 011 722 4200
