Business burglaries on the rise in Durban North

CRIMINALS haven’t been laying idle, with eight Durban North business burglaries reported in the last week, says Marshall Security’s Tyron Powell.  

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“Our control centre over the past week has received eight reports of burglaries, five occurring on Monday’s public holiday alone. With the nature of stolen items ranging from low to high value, quick sell items to consumables, the increase in theft incidents could well be a result from unemployment following the unrest,” he said.  

At approximately 10:30 on August 9, Marshall’s received a report of theft from a business complex in Glen Anil, where copper pipes and a water meter had been stolen.

 An hour later reports came through of a business burglary on North Coast Road. Suspects had forced the front door and security gate to gain entry, and proceeded to steal several power tools.  

Toward the evening, armed suspects forced their way through the front door of a shop in the Essenwood area, where they stole various consumable items before fleeing the scene in a getaway vehicle.  

“Further Durban North business burglaries included incidents where various electronic devices were stolen such as desktop computers, laptops, kitchen appliances and a cellphone, as well as generators,” said Powell.

He encourages business owners to:  

• Get a comprehensive security assessment to ensure you have the correct, sufficient, and functioning security solutions at your premises. 
• Always arm the alarm system, and ensure all the detectors are in optimal condition. Ensure there aren’t any items left outside the building that suspects can use to gain entry, such as pallets, ladders and any tools.  
• Activate open and closing notifications to receive confirmation that your premises has been locked up and armed.  
• Ask your security company about the latest in security technology for your business, such as AI cameras and image and video verification.  
• Always report crime incidents, even if they feel insignificant to you. Not only may it assist in building a case against repeat offenders for future convictions, but it also helps SAPS form more accurate statistics about the true nature of crime in the country.