4 schools robbed in one month

Laerskool Unika is the fourth school that has fallen victim to a spate of burglaries in one month.

The modus operandi for each of the burglaries is similar, with the suspects gaining entry to the property through the roof in all cases.

Suspects gained entry to Laerskool Unika through the tin roof and into the main office at about 2am on 23 May. The school has an alarm system with a beam through the roof which was activated. The suspects then cut the main alarm switch wire.

According to the principal of Unika, Zieg Schefer, ADT Security was dispatched to attend to the alarm but found nothing during their search and left. It was then that suspects took the opportunity to break open every office door and cupboard.

Theunis Kotze, general manager of ADT Inland region said, “[ADT responded to the incident] which occurred this morning at approximately 12.58am.” Kotze confirmed that they were investigating the incident thoroughly.

Schefer said, “They used an angle grinder to break open the main walk-in safe and then broke into the smaller safe.” The suspects took a whole host of items such as laptops, cash, cameras and the file server (containing exam papers).

“I cannot understand how the security did not notice anything suspicious. We and the parents pay them a lot of money and it seems that they have not done their job,” added Schefer.

“The preliminary outcome of our internal investigation shows unfortunately that our officers did not follow protocol and this will be dealt with internally,” added Kotze.

Over the long weekend on 1 May, Rand Park Primary was also burgled.

The same modus operandi was used: breaking in through the roof, using an angle grinder to break into the safe and stealing various office items.

Rand Park principal, Nic Pienaar, commented, “They are so brazen, they broke into the safe that has at least 6mm-thick metal plates. The suspects also stole the DVR recorder that logs all the CCTV footage.”

Two more schools, Risidale Primary School and Laerskool Fontainebleau, were then hit on two consecutive days, on 5 and 6 May. In the case of both schools, access was also gained through the roof and burgled.

Fontainebleau principal, Arno Faber, said, “The suspects stole at least 10 laptops and some cash; they broke into two safes as well.”

Rand Park and Fontainebleau said they use different security services.

In their third incident since 2014 Risidale Primary School had laptops, tablets, money and projectors stolen, totalling nearly R23 000.

“We also have ADT and in my experience as principal at Risidale, they never seem to be able to prevent any break-ins,” Risidale principal Julius van Zyl alleged.

“The suspects cut the wire while the security company was en route and when the security guards arrived, the suspects must have had a lookout to warn them to keep quiet. They are then free to steal whatever they want.”

Linden Police operations manager Captain Alex Vermaak said, “It must be a syndicate as each of the crimes have similar modus operandi. At this stage, we have not found anything specific.”

Capt Vermaak added, “We are monitoring the schools but it is difficult to catch the suspects as they break in through the roof.”

“We will be sending out an alert to all of these schools as well as placing all of our officers in these areas on high alert,” said Kotze.

Schefer added, “We just want to warn the other schools in the area, as we seem to be the targets of late and something needs to be said and done.”

Details: Linden SAPS, 011 449 9115.