A Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO) guard who was stabbed while attempting to apprehend a burglar, has been discharged from hospital and is recuperating at home.
According to CCPO operations manager, Leon Joone, the guard Bhekisasa Sam Magcaba responded to an attempted break-in at a complex in Adams Road on Saturday, 2 January. “The client saw the suspected thief and screamed for help,” said Leon. The thief ran down towards the gate and when Sam cornered him, he was stabbed in the chest and cut on his bicep.
“Sam said the thief was young and extremely strong and he also tried to stab one of the residents. Sam did what he was supposed to do and didn’t back down. He is a big, strong guy, so it shows just how dangerous these guys are. I suspect the thief was on drugs, because he was acting like a lunatic.
We want residents to be aware of how dangerous these housebreakers are. They are not here to play. Do not confront a housebreaker, but rather call the police or the CCPO. If you confront them, you put your life in danger.
Join the CCPO and help us get rid of this riff-raff. With your help, we can get more Sams out there to fight crime.”
Do not confront a housebreaker, but rather call the police or the CCPO.
In a separate incident, a suspected housebreaker was caught by CCPO supervisor Michael Mkhize on the corner of Adelaide and Worlds View Close in Doonside on Tuesday, 5 January. He was handed over to Toti SAPS for investigation.
On Saturday, 2 January shots were fired at a CCPO reaction vehicle after it responded to a business break-in at a supermarket in Uitsig Road. Five shots were fired at the CCPO vehicle and the reaction guard returned fire, however the thieves made their getaway in a red VW Polo with an undisclosed amount of cash after they had bombed the safe.
A housebreaker was caught by CCPO in Briscoe Place and a bicycle recovered on 29 December. “He also had a knife and a Nokia phone in his possession,” said Leon. The thief was detained by Toti SAPS for possession of suspected stolen property.
“Crime over the festive season was not too hectic,” said Leon. “We noticed it was up around the new year with housebreakings and theft out of motor vehicles contributing to a steady amount of crime.”
The thermal imaging camera that the Toti community helped fundraise for is being utilised in operations and it will soon start to yield positive results for the crime-fighting organisation.
