COMMUNITY crime-fighters are appealing to residents to stand united against crime and ensure that they report any and all suspicious people or activities to police. The call comes in the wake of a spate of crimes that have hit the Durban north areas in the past week.
Police and private security companies have responded to at least six crime-related incidents in the last seven days. The escalation of crime in the areas has become a major cause for concern. In a house robbery in Clarendon Road, last Wednesday, a gang of suspects entered a home and demanded that the domestic worker be quiet while they ransacked the house. At the time, the domestic worker was looking after a toddler. In another incident, less than three hours later, a police officer was hit on her head when two suspects tried to hijack her Mercedes Benz. The pair failed to reverse Thoko Bukhosini’s car out of the garage and locked her inside the garage before fleeing with her car keys. On Thursday, a domestic worker was left traumatised when three armed men stormed into the house where she was working and held up her and the home owner, before making off with various high end electronic equipment.
Commenting on the recent incidents, Carol van Tonder, said regarding the brutal attack on Bukhosini, she was shocked at the brutality of the incident as it was extremely traumatising for the victim and her family, especially the children who will need counselling and ongoing support.
van Tonder, a police reservist and Chairperson of the Durban North and uMhlanga Crisis Team, and her team have been responding to a number of incidents offering support to the the families in crisis. Rajiv Jaynath, Chairperson of the Greenwood Park SAPS Sub Forum Sector 2, said it is important for residents to know their neighbours so that they can form good relationships between each other and can share information via community groups.
Greenwood Park SAPS Communications Officer, W/O Leon Audh, said although they have police officials patrolling regularly and every effort is made by officers to safeguard the property of the community, it is difficult to be in all areas at once.
“We therefore request from the community to please try as far as possible to take the necessary precautions with regards to safeguarding their homes. If your home is broken into, please do not touch anything as fingerprints will have to be lifted,” he said.
