The festive season brings with it many welcome pleasures. People look forward to going on holiday, receiving presents, family meals and general relaxation.
What it also brings is an upsurge in criminal activity, most notably, house robberies.
Witpoortjie has already seen the start of this seasonal increase in unwanted activity. Homes in Stumke, Strydom and Van Lill StreetS have all been recent victims of a house robbery.
Also Read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2019/11/04/horizon-view-man-falls-victim-to-cash-thieves/
In the Stumke Street incident, two children were home alone when two female suspects,one armed, entered the home by breaking through the front door. The children were unharmed, but valuable household appliances were taken.
Roodepoort Police spokesperson, Captain Juanita-Anne Yorke, confirmed the incident and issued a blanket warning. “The Stumke robbery highlights the need for the community to be vigilant. Do not leave yourself and your loved ones open to harm. Be ultra-cautious at all times, lock your doors and gates and report any suspicious movement in your area. Do not allow yourself to become a victim” said Captain Yorke.
These four robberies, two in Van Lill Street, plus two in the neighbouring suburb of Mindalore on Pranall and Jan Van Rooyen Streets, bring the tally to six robberies in the space of a week.
It has not been confirmed whether the female suspects in the Stumke Street robbery are connected to the others, but residents are asked to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious persons.
The following tips could be useful in preventing or avoiding a house robbery:
• Do not try to be a hero, it may be fatal.
• Do not lose your temper, become aggressive or make demands – remain calm and focused.
• Always lock your doors, gates and windows.
• Invest in realistic security measures, e.g. reliable alarms with panic buttons and CCTV
• Educate your domestic worker to be always observant and vigilant and not to open the gate or door for strangers.
• Ensure that your domestic worker always confirms with you prior to giving anyone access to the house.
• Check that you are not followed from malls, shopping centres, banks, etc. Rather drive past your house until it is clear.
• Check for people wearing work suits/ overalls – sometimes they can be deceptive.
• Remove your mail from the mailbox regularly, as criminals check the house owner’s particulars and use them to deceive domestic workers into giving them access to the property.
• Know your neighbours, and if possible, exchange contact numbers or create a WhatsApp group to act as a neighbourhood watch communication channel.
• Check for unknown and suspicious cars parked nearby, write down the registration numbers and alert the police or/ and a security company.
