Clean air association loses crucial data

FOR the third time, brazen thieves have stolen the air conditioning unit from the Richards Bay Clean Air Association’s monitoring station in Brackenham, rendering the station out of action.

This means that essential data relating to air quality will not be logged until repairs are effected.

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The theft was detected early on Monday morning when the RBCAA’s service provider arrived to service the air conditioner.

The RBCAA’s consultant had already noted an increase in the station’s internal temperature from around 4am on Monday, indicating a failure of the air conditioning unit.

A visit to the site, prominently located on the property of the municipal pump station at the main entrance to the suburb, on the corner of the R619 and Via Davallia, showed how the thieves gained easy access to the unguarded property.

A wooden pallet had been placed against the gap where a vibrocrete wall panel was removed during the last
break-in, and there was nothing to stop the criminals pushing that aside and entering the premises.

They cut the wiring to the aircon unit and smashed open the cage that had been bolted around it.

There was no security guard on the premises, despite the fact that none of the doors to the strategic pump station have locks.

Both the pump station and the RBCAA station are fed from the adjacent Airfern Angle substation, which has doors held together by a piece of wire, making it easy to disconnect the power and alarms.

Also of concern is the fact that the area behind the substation is obviously being used by vagrants, while the front is protected from the view of passing traffic by bushes.

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