CRIME BRIEFS: Residents help prevent crime through vigilance

VIGILANCE from residents has helped prevent crime and several break-ins in the Port Alfred area based on the most recent MultiSecurity incident reports.

Based on the most recent Community Police Forum meeting, SAPS and MultiSecurity have reported that crime was at an all-time high for the period of June and July and is not slowing down for August. Security vigilance is more important than ever to help safeguard the community against opportunistic and planned crime activities.

  • Last Tuesday the MultiSecurity control room received a call from a client in Van der Riet Street who reported it looked like someone removed screws from the bathroom window and asked for armed response to check the premises. The reaction officer reported that the domestic worker noticed that the upstairs bathroom window has been tampered with as the window screws were lying in the bath. The reaction officer replaced the screws on the window. No SAPS was needed as nothing had been reported stolen.
  • Late Tuesday evening shortly before midnight the MulitSecurity control room received a panic from a residence in George Street. Armed response was despatched and attended and while they were driving to the address, MultiSecurity control room received several phone calls from clients in Dickenson Road, Robertson Road and Chatham Street reporting that they hear banging noises. Similar noises were at the same time reported coming from Boundary Road. A client in Smith Street also reported a suspect at his gate at the same time. When MultiSecurity patrolled the area nothing suspicious was reported.
  • On Wednesday August 9, MultiSecurity control room received a panic from the Bafana Bafana shop in Joe Slovo Street, Nemato. Reaction officers attended and said client informed them that he pressed the panic as there was a drunken man on the premises causing trouble.
  • In the early hours of last Thursday morning, MultiSecurity control room received a call from a resident in Pinetree Lane reporting people in the yard. Reaction officers arrived at the scene and reported that everything was in order.
  • Last Friday MultiSecurity control room received an alarm from a client reporting an open window without burglar bars on the balcony in Loerie Road. The reaction officer on duty attended and reported force marks on the frame of the window. He reported that the lip of the latch was broken off, so they were unable to close the window. He also reported that nothing seems to have been disturbed inside the house.
  • In the early hours of Saturday morning, a resident in Geldebloem Street, not a MultiSecurity client, reported there had been suspects on the premises. She also said that they had informed the police but they were taking too long to get there. She asked if MultiSecurity could check the premises and the area. A response officer assisted and checked the premises. He reported that the suspect had tried to force open the security gate at the front door when the resident woke up and spotted them. The suspects then ran off. Reaction officers reported that they found two sets of footprints.
  • A bit later that same morning, in Atherstone Road, a client phoned in and reported a suspicious person had just run through his yard. MultiSecurity armed response attended to the scene and while there received a call from another client in the same street who reported that he saw a suspicious man walking at the corner of Mission Street and Atherstone Road in the direction of the Caltex Petrol Station. MultiSecurity reaction officers attended but could not find the person.