Theft in Parkwood’s Torquay Road has increased over the past 12 months, according to a concerned resident, who said the area had experienced three vehicle thefts and one theft out of a motor vehicle during this time.
Ongoing power outages and faulty street lights have added to residents’ concerns about the general lack of safety in the area. Despite the presence of security guards, the unease stemming from the alleged spike in crime seems to persist.
“Three vehicles were stolen and one car was broken into and ransacked in the past 12 months. The street has a 24-hour bicycle patrol, yet it has proven to be ineffective as vehicles continue to be stolen right under their noses,” said Parkwood resident, Wade Whittaker.
He added that attempts were being made to increase security in the street and possibly move to a different provider. In addition, he said residents in the area have decided to put up spotlights to make the street more luminous.
“The faulty street lights were logged with City Power and a team was sent to fix all of them. Although the lights are working now, the street still remains dark, so some residents have agreed to erect their own spotlights to help illuminate the street.”
Ward 117 councillor, Tim Truluck said faulty street lights in Parkwood are an ongoing problem, more so with the recurring power outages that have become commonplace in the area. “As soon as there is a power outage, all the [electrical] timers stop working. Residents, however, need to keep re-logging the incident with City Power since electricity comes on during the day or two hours later, depending on how long the power outage was.”
Truluck added that theft of and out of motor vehicles is likely to happen more often with the influx of residents and businesses in the area. “Cars tend to get broken into and stolen, and that’s going to happen, especially in the section along Jan Smuts [Avenue]. But then again, that’s where the local CPF comes in,” said Truluck.
“Parkhurst and Parktown North have a public space policing plan (PSPP), where residents contribute a certain amount a month to the residents association, who in turn pay the security provider in the area to patrol and enforce safety and security bylaws. Perhaps that’s something to look into for other neighbourhoods?”
Rosebank Police spokesperson, Sergeant Bongi Mdletshe argued that police had no incidents of hijacking or theft of motor vehicles reported in the area recently, but were fighting to alleviate the incidents that do crop up, although a few.
“We’ve never had vehicle thefts to the extent of what’s been described but are fighting the little that we have,” said Mdletshe.
“What we need to make sure of is that whenever someone goes to the media and give stats, they must give the correct stats and not something they are assuming is happening.”
He added, “Cars are, however, generally stolen along the street and not inside the property. In a nutshell, police are doing their level best to maintain the little crime that we have.”
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