FOLLOWING a spike in business robberies, Hillcrest SAPS released a statement to make all business owners and the community aware of the increase in crime to prevent them from becoming another statistic.
ALSO READ: Report crime early to assist police analyse crime trends
Hillcrest SAPS communications officer, Capt Linzi Smith, said the recent incident took place at a cellphone shop in Watercrest Mall.
“The staff were held up at gunpoint by suspects who pretended to be clients. They were tied up and locked in an office. Cell phones and cash were taken.”
Smith said police have since arrested three suspects who could possibly be linked to this case.
“We have had more than two cases from petrol stations where people are given the speed points and drive off with them. These are then used to commit fraud,” said Smith.
She urged business owners to ensure their equipment and possessions are not visible outside the premises at any part of the day or night. “Security gates must remain locked, if doors are left open. If you have security guards, they need to be more vigilant when vehicles drive past the premises slowly,” advised Smith.
Safety tips:
– Keep a low balance in the cash register.
– Place excess money in a safe or deposit it as soon as possible.
– Cooperate with the robber for your own safety and the safety of others. Comply with a robber’s demands. Remain calm and think clearly. Make mental notes of the robber’s physical description and other observations important to the police.
– If you have a silent alarm and can reach it without being noticed, use it. Otherwise, wait until the robber leaves.
– If you see something suspicious, call the police, 10111. Never try to handle it yourself.
– Make sure important signs stay posted. For example, the front door should bear signs that say, “Clerk cannot open the time lock safe.”
– If your business is robbed put your safety first. Your personal safety is more important than money or merchandise.
– Don’t talk except to answer the robber’s questions.
– Prevent surprises; keep your hands in sight at all times.
– Don’t make any sudden moves.
– Don’t chase or follow the robber out of your place of business but do get, if possible, a direction of travel, vehicle color, make, and description, and robbery description.
– Call 10111 immediately! Do not call a supervisor, manager or owner first. Give the information to police as soon as possible.
– Don’t just open the door. This information needs to be cascaded to staff members working in or on a business premises. One usually finds that if you press the buzzer to gain entry, the gate is automatically just opened without even conversing who it is.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
