UPDATE: Smash and grabbers are still at it
JOBURG - Following a horrifying smash and grab incident on Witkoppen Road on 15 January, a Paulshof resident has reported seeing the same criminals at it again.
The video of the on Youtube of the smash and grab which took place on 15 January has since gone viral.
A Paulshof resident said on 20 January at around 6.15pm, he witnessed what he believed to be the same men from the video at it again on Witkoppen Road, near Cambridge Crossing.
“I saw them coming up the embankment and then they started to look for targets,” he said. “It was three guys, one stays at the top of the bridge and the other two cover both sides of the road.”
The resident said the men were all dressed in tracksuit tops and one had a beanie on. “One of the guys had an Orlando Pirates tracksuit top,” he said.
He said he hooted for a long time when he saw the men because he wanted to make people aware. Once he got through the intersection of Witkoppen and Stonehaven Roads, he immediately alerted the security guards at the boom gates to what was going on.
The resident explained that what he witnessed on 15 January has made him aware of his surroundings while stuck in traffic and he would like other residents to also be aware.
20 January:
‘Smash and grabs are planned operations’
A terrifying video of a smash and grab on Cambridge Road at the corner of Witkoppen Road in Paulshof has gone viral and raised concern about the safety of travelling on the road.
According to tactical operations manager for 7 Arrows Security, Brendon Jacobs, because of the traffic congestion on Witkoppen Road, the area has become easy pickings for criminals. The security company does regular patrols in the area to show visibility, but Jacobs said they could not be in the area constantly and that’s when criminals strike.
“Sometimes we’ll lay in wait for more than a month with no sign of the criminals,” Jacobs said. “On the one day we’re not there, that’s when the smash and grabs happen, which means the criminals are watching our movements.” He explained that in his experience, the smash and grabs on Witkoppen Road were not opportunistic but rather well planned operations.
“We’ve also been monitoring their movements and we’ve realised that the very same guys start smashing and grabbing on Main Road in Lonehill, go up the hill to Witkoppen Road in Paulshof, and then turn their attention to Bowling Avenue in Morningside and then move on to Woodmead,” Jacobs said. “The most common days for smash and grabs are Thursdays and Fridays.”
The day on which the incident in the video took place was Thursday 15 January.
Shathi Govender, chairperson of the Paulshof Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association said Paulshof residents were aware that Witkoppen Road was a hotspot for smash and grabs. “The best way to prevent becoming a victim of this crime is to make sure all your valuables are out of sight,” he said.
Govender said one of the reasons he believed Witkoppen had become a hotspot was because it was very easy for criminals to get away after the smash and grab, by running down the embankment and onto the highway where a getaway vehicle was waiting for them.
Govender said the association was working with local government to make sure the area was fenced so that criminals could not run down to the highway.
Jacobs said his company was trying to get a sign erected in the area to warn residents that Witkoppen Road was a smash and grab hotspot.
He added that if motorists saw any suspicious behaviour they should contact 7 Arrows.
Details: 010 140 7777
Read our first story, Smash and grab caught on camera.
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