At an in-depth and frank meeting it was noted that not all crime incidents are being reported to the South African Police Service. What is reported does not give a fair reflection of the extent of the crime actually taking place in our area. Far too many people fail to report criminal incidents – sometimes out of fear, but most often out of apathy. Insurance companies have notified us that insurance claims will be null and void unless the claim is accompanied by a SAPS case number verified by the area SAPS office. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of registering crimes with SAPS.
Theft and burglaries have shown a slight increase. The criminals are now also becoming more aggressive in their crimes and don’t shy away from confrontation. Don’t put temptation in their way: lock houses, vehicles and garages if you don’t want to be the next victim. Thieves have no regard for the true value of your items and will sell them cheaply for a quick drug fix.
We have had an upsurge of new white druggies and vagrants causing problems in the community. Please be careful of these con artists, both male and female, as they can be very intimidating and/or manipulative. Please report them to your security company, who will remove them from your area. Don’t invite them into your house, however tearful and convincing their plea for help. An elderly couple were recently fleeced by a well-known young con artist/druggie, but declined to lay charges for fear of reprisal.
Vagrants are not necessarily homeless: they usually have a place to stay but for one reason or another don’t want to go home. Your security company can help to establish what that reason is, and what’s required for them to overcome it. When residents enable a dysfunctional situation by “helping”, they may put themselves and their neighbours at risk and delay a resolution.
Fraud remains a constant risk and has claimed another victim who attempted to buy a car online. What is pleasing from our point of view is that the people who are being scammed are now reporting these cases, whereas before they were too embarrassed to report them. The faster these incident are reported, the better the chances of the police and banking cyber-fraud squads catching them. Once again, we appeal to the public not to buy items online except from known, trusted sources. Don’t let down your guard for what appears to be a bargain. Here is a shortlink to 11 tips for buying and selling online more safely: http://bit.ly/4ma37mB
The new area attendant scheme was rolled out on July 1, with Van Der Riet Street and Campbell Street businesses getting the ball rolling. The feedback has been positive from both customers and businesses. We are hoping that more streets and businesses will support this new venture.
It has come to our attention that bogus security/sector policing people are donning overalls-cum-uniforms and patrolling the town. They have no right to confront any individual or business and we appeal to the public to report them whenever they see them. CPF members are always on patrol with a member of the SAPS and are recognised by the sponsored shirts that we wear.
-
This article was first published in Talk of the Town, July 24, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
