CRIME is on the rise in all of the local sectors with the latest crime statistics reported at last week’s Port Alfred Community Police Forum (CPF).
Sergeant Shaun Plaaitjies, who compared the figures for June and July, said that there had been a significant increase in fraud cases in the cluster, including online classifieds like Gumtree and OLX.
“Don’t deposit money before you have seen the product. With technology people are becoming smarter with online fraud,” he said.
Incidents have also been reported with civilians being duped at ATMs in Port Alfred CBD.
SAPS members said that syndicates travel from Port Elizabeth and East London passing through Port Alfred neighbourhoods looking for opportunity crimes.
Two incidents were referred to, the one involving two women in the Kleinemonde area posing as Sassa worker who would then stop and enter the house, ask to use the bathroom facilities and steal jewellery and handbags before they leave. Another separate syndicate hit a residence on the West Bank where the domestic worker was locked up in a room and the burglars then stripped the house of valuable items.
Contact crimes are up compared to June such as robberies in Port Alfred CBD, common assault and rape. Theft out of motor vehicle was the same in July as it was June. Assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm is up, and murder is up too.
MultiSecurity shared their incident book reports and affirmed the high crime incidents.
MultiSecurity co-owner Mike Millard also disclosed that while there were more attempted break-ins than successful break-ins, the total number of incidents was high.
“The attempted break-ins we perceive as positive break-ins that were prevented, so if you put those figures together ask yourself is the crime in Port Alfred low or high?” said.
Of the “successful” break-ins there were at least six homes that had not armed their homes, Millard said.
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