Man caught red-handed stealing cable in Elardus Park
The suspect was apprehended after security officers gave chase as he started running away when found cutting cables next to the side of the road.
A man was caught in the act while stealing copper cables in Elardus Park.
According to Bull Security spokesperson French Jooste, his officers received a tip-off that the man was tampering with an electricity box by the road and swiftly responded.
He said when they arrived, the man was still cutting the cables, but when he saw them, he ran but was caught.
“The man noticed the units and started running towards Solomon Mahlangu Drive, our officer called back-up and a chase on foot ensued.”
Jooste said the officers caught the man, who was later handed over to Lyttelton Saps.
He said the suspect faced a charge of copper cable theft, tampering with essential infrastructure and malicious damage to property.
“Suspects must know that Bull Security has zero tolerance for any crime,” he said.
Recently, Rekord also reported that Bull Security caught a man for stealing copper cables and vandalising a traffic light on January Masilela Drive.
“Officers received a call about a man who was breaking open a traffic light on January Masilela Drive,” the security company said.
It said a responding unit caught the man in the act.
“The man noticed our unit and ran, but officers quickly caught him.”
A big bag full of copper cables was found in his possession.
He was later handed over to Brooklyn police, who charged him for cable theft and malicious damage to essential infrastructure.
Tshwane recently warned that traffic light vandalism and theft caused significant disruption to traffic flow in the city.
“In the past few months, there has been a sharp increase in the number of traffic lights that have been vandalised or had parts stolen,” said spokesperson Selby Bokaba.
He said the parts being stolen included transformers and controllers.
“This has left many intersections without operating traffic signals, leading to long delays and increased risk of accidents.”
Bokaba urged residents to immediately report any suspicious activity around traffic lights to the metro police.
“Communities are cautioned not to confront people found tampering with a traffic lights, but rather to report them to metro police on 012 358 7095/6.”
He said the city would take steps to deter theft and vandalism of traffic lights through the installation of security cameras and by increasing patrols in high-crime areas.
“However, the public’s cooperation is essential in preventing these crimes. By working together with communities, the city can help to keep its traffic lights safe and ensure that residents can travel safely.”
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