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IT appears that when house break-in and house robbery suspects are put under the spotlight by police, they have little issue with singing like a bird.
Mondeor SAPS Communications Officer, Constable Mnguni spoke exclusively to the CHRONICLE reporter, Zesuliwe Hadebe, on what detainees have revealed to police about how they go about executing a house break-in or robbery.
“Most suspects who are arrested claim that they go around checking if there’s anyone in the home. Many ring doorbells or go around dustbin collection days, checking which homes have bins still out on the street in the afternoon,” revealed Constable Mnguni.
However, Constable Mnguni said that not all house breakers use the same methods because some of these incidents were as a result of crimes of opportunity.
According to information by a professor at UNISA’s School of Criminal Justice and Police Practice, Crime Researcher Rudolph Zinn, which was published by eNCA, criminals allegedly regularly implement a researched plan of action when breaking and entering homes.
Criminals revealed to Rudolph Zinn that they have a strict policy against drug usage before breaking into a home, all in the interests of pulling a successful break-in.
Zinn said that a mere five percent were under the influence when committing crimes. “If someone is under the influence, it becomes a very volatile situation,” said Zinn.
Zinn said criminals want to steal without confronting the occupants of a house. According to SOS Security owner Du Toit Lambrechts from Alberton, his experience has exposed that robbers target homes during quiet times.
“Early evening tends to be a bigger problem, and also quieter times, like on a Sunday morning,” said Lambrechts. Residents were often relaxed and left doors and gates open.