BLUE ALERT FOR ALL AREAS FOR THE WEEK PRECEEDING 28 SEPTEMBER 2010 

We start this report with a rather disturbing incident that was well publicized in the national media. The message is a simple one: you cannot let your guard down anywhere or at any time – even in a place of worship. Let’s take a look at what has been going on this week.

Pinetown, Maurice Nicols Road. Armed Robbery - Church (26 September 2010, 21:41)
Four suspects entered the church and pretended to be attending the church service. Members of the church became suspicious and informed the SAPS. A shoot-out began between suspects and SAPS ensued. Two suspects were killed whilst another was injured. The remaining suspect fled in a white VW Jetta (ND 386 653)

The mind boggles at the sheer audacity of these miscreants, well done to alert members of the congregation and the good work of the SAPS members who attended.

Amanzimtoti, Adams Road. Armed Robbery - Residential (26 September 2010, 17:19)
Three suspects armed with 9mm firearms derailed the driveway gate and held resident up at gun point. Suspects stole a handbag, containing credit cards, house keys, remotes and cell phones. Suspects fled in a blue Hyundai Getz.

Amanzimtoti, Kingsway Road. Armed Robbery - Business (22 September 2010, 10:10)
Two black males entered the shop and held complainant up at gunpoint. Suspects stole R4000 cash and a black VW Jetta 4 (ND 515502)
   
Queensmead, Downie Crescent. Armed Robbery - Business (24 September 2010, 22:58)
Six armed suspects entered premises and held staff up at gun point. Diesel was siphoned from 2 company trucks parked on the premises.

We know that petrol and diesel prices are constantly going up, but this is taking things a little far.
    
New Germany, Chelsea Avenue. Armed Robbery - Business (27 September 2010, 18:59)
Three black male suspects hid at the rear of premises. When owners began locking the premises, they were approached by the suspects. One suspect was armed with a pistol and forced the complainant back inside the premises to open the safe. Suspects assaulted owner and stole R7000 cash and R 11 000 worth of airtime.
    
Pinetown, Collins Road. Hijacking (23 September 2010, 14:22)
Three suspects approached as resident drove into her driveway. Suspects dragged her out of the vehicle and fled in her green VW Jetta (NPN 72538). Complainant sustained bruises to her right hand and could not confirm if suspects were armed or not.

Geez, that’s the 3rd Jetta this week.
    
Durban North, Stirling Crescent. Hijacking (25 September 2010, 18:52)
Four suspects held resident up at gun point as she arrived home. Suspects fled in her silver grey BMW (ND 7795).
    
Savanna Park, Thorn Tree Avenue. Hijacking (27 September 2010, 05:22)
Resident was approached by 2 suspects whilst exiting his driveway. One suspect was armed with a fire-arm and the other suspect armed with a knife. The suspects forced resident out of the vehicle and fled in his maroon Toyota Tazz (ND 204-133).
    
Reservoir Hills, Kies Avenue. Hijacking (27 September 2010, 20:10)
Residents arrived home and entered front driveway gates when they were approached by 3 black males armed with firearms. Suspects demanded the vehicle keys. Suspects then drove off in residents’ silver Toyota Corolla (ND 640074).

Yet another driveway hijacking! If you’re a regular reader of the Blue Alert by now you will have noticed that most hijackings occur when approaching or leaving your premises. We have some great tips to help prevent this happening to you.

• Be extra alert for the last 2km of your journey home. Switch off the car radio and concentrate on your surroundings.  This is when you are most vulnerable!

• Check your driveway and street for unknown pedestrians or vehicles parked close to your home before you leave or enter your premises.

• Do not turn into your driveway if you feel suspicious – drive past and go back later.

• Make sure your driveway is well lit and clear from shrubbery where perpetrators can hide.

• Be extra vigilant if your animals do not greet you at the gate as usual. It might be that the perpetrators have over-powered or drugged them.

• When returning home after dark, ensure that an outside light is on, or have someone meet you at the gate. Blue Security offers clients a rendezvous services if required.

• If you don’t have automated gates:
If at all possible phone ahead and ask for someone at home to make sure your driveway is safe and to open and close the gate for you. 
If at any time you have to open the gate yourself, switch off the vehicle, leave the key in the ignition and close the door. Then open the gate. Your safety is much more important that your vehicle.
If you have small children in the vehicle, take the key with you (this is the only exception).  You need the key as a “negotiating tool”.  The perpetrators want your vehicle and you want your children.
If your children are older, it is advised that they exit the vehicle with you when opening the gate so that all of you are all separated from the vehicle should a hijack occur.

• Automated gates can limit your risk of a hijacking, however it is advisable to disable the safety beam and program the gates to “manual close”. We also recommend that you install a long range receiver so that you can open your gates from some distance away and then close them immediately behind you. Disabling the safety beam will prevent the gates from automatically opening again if a suspect tries to slip in behind you.
    
Gillitts, Elizabeth Drive. Gatecrashing - Residential (25 September 2010, 17:02)
Suspects derailed driveway gate and gained entry by forcing open front door and gate. A laptop, DVD player and jewellery was stolen.
    
Durban North, Regent Place. Gatecrashing - Residential (25 September 2010, 17:32)
Suspects derailed driveway gate and gained entry by forcing open the door facing the pool area. Two TVs were stolen.
    
Westville, Wendover Road. Gatecrashing - Residential (25 September 2010, 18:37)
Suspects cut the lock on the driveway gate and entered the premises. Suspects then forced open the front security gate and door gaining entry inside. An LCD TV, decoder, laptop and jewellery was stolen.
   
Amanzimtoti, Launchester Road. Housebreaking – Residential (22 September 2010, 10:59)
Suspects gained entry by forcing open front main bedroom window and burglar bars. A plasma TV and computer system was stolen.
    
New Germany, Chichestor Gardens. Housebreaking – Residential (23 September 2010, 10:04)
Suspects gained entry by forcing open kitchen window and burglar bars. A LCD TV was stolen.
      
St Winifreds, Almond Road. Housebreaking – Residential (25 September 2010, 09:15)
Suspects attempted to gain access into the garage at 3:30AM. Resident spotted suspects and screamed. Suspects fled the scene but cam back at +/- 4:30AM that morning. Suspects gained entry via open lounge window. A laptop, expensive cigarette lighter and 2 DVD players were stolen.

If you have had an attempted break in, don’t assume that the criminals have fled the area - suspects have been known to “lie low” for hours on end before making a second attempt. It is also a good idea to activate your neighbourhood watch network and advise your neighbours that criminals are in the area – we have come across many, many incidents where suspects are disturbed during their activities, only to find out that a few hours later they have struck at a neighbouring property.

Blue Security offers a complementary “Neighbourhood Watch SMS Network” that allows you to send one SMS to a multiple people. This is an ideal tool to use in a situation such as described above. Contact our Community Policing Division if you wish to know more about this service.

Doonheights, Longacres Drive. Housebreaking – Residential (26 September 2010, 02:54)
Resident did not lock the door and went to take a shower. On exiting the shower, he found his cell phone and wallet was missing.

Big surprise there!
    
Mosely Park, Rushbrook Road. Housebreaking - Residential (26 September 2010, 12:03)
Suspects broke open main bedroom’s ensuite window and pushed in burglar guards. Jewellery was stolen.
        
New Germany, Glamis Road. Housebreaking - Residential (27 September 2010, 14:55)
Suspects gained entry by removing window pane and burglar bars. A cellular phone was stolen.
    
New Germany, Hilmer Street. Housebreaking – Residential (27 September 2010, 15:42)
Entry gained by smashing lounge window and forcing open burglar bars. Jewellery was stolen.
    
Winston Park, Van Riebeeck Road. Housebreaking - Residential (28 September 2010, 02:03)
Suspects forced open Wendy house door. Two mountain bikes were stolen.
    
Shongweni, JB Mcintosh Road.  Housebreaking - Business (22 September 2010, 22:01)
Entry gained into Domestic quarters by smashing window. R200 cash was stolen.
    
New Germany, Nipper Road. Housebreaking - Business (24 September 2010, 08:01)
Suspects forced open rear roller shutter door gaining entry into workshop. Suspects then forced open the security gate and gained entry into the office area. Alarm system was ripped off the wall. A whacker machine was stolen.
    
Bluff / Jacobs, Hime Lane. Housebreaking - Business (25 September 2010, 13:20)
Complainant was doing some work in the back of the factory. Suspects entered through the front door which was left unlocked. A computer screen and hard drive was stolen.

People, people – if we’ve told you once, we’ve told you 1000 times. Never leave your door unlocked. We’ve had too many cases where the criminal has slipped inside and stolen items without anyone even detecting they were there. These situations could easily turn dangerous if the criminal is discovered inside. If it is unavoidable that you need to leave the door unlocked, then set your alarm system to “chime” so that you hear if the door is opened. If you’re not sure how to do this (not all alarm systems have this feature), feel free to contact our technical department who will be more than willing to help.
    
Amanzimtoti, Nyati Road.  Housebreaking - Business (27 September 2010, 07:20)
+/- 40 meters of cable was stolen.
    
Waterfall, District Road. Housebreaking – Business (27 September 2010, 08:10)
Entry gained by forcing open garage door. An angle grinder was stolen.
    
Greyville, 5th Avenue Housebreaking – Business (27 September 2010, 09:01)
Entry gained by smashing window. Two plasma computer screens were stolen.
    
Queensburgh, Burlington Station. Housebreaking - Business (28 September 2010, 02:33)
Suspects bent open metal roof and secured it with a log to hold the metal sheeting down. Airtime and other small items were stolen.

The clever use of this log reminds me of a joke I heard a while back. It goes a little something like this:
Two logs lived in close proximity together. Birch and Beech had been friends for many years. One day, a twig appeared on the ground between the two of them.
“Birch, is that your son?” said Beech. “I don’t know,” replied Birch, “I can’t see that far.”
Just then, a woodpecker flew up and perched on the twig. “Excuse me, Mr. Woodpecker” said one of the logs, “but in your expert opinion, is that twig a son of a Birch or a son of a Beech?” 

Seaview, Seaview Road. Theft (22 September 2010, 03:44)
Suspects jumped over the wall and stole 2 tyres from the yard area.

Pinetown, Union Lane. Theft (22 September 2010, 08:39)
Suspects entered the property via the unlocked driveway gate and stole the 4 tyres and a radio/tape player from a Toyota Bakkie.
       
Durban North, Everst Road. Theft (24 September 2010, 01:41)
Two black male suspects stole 2 tyres and fled over the palisade fencing.
    
Assagay, Cliffdale Road. Theft (25 September 2010, 11:48)
Suspects stole +/- 1.5 metres of wire mesh fencing.
    
Musgrave, Currie Road. Theft (26 September 2010, 20:18)
Garden chairs at the pool area were stolen.
    
Glenwood / Glenmore, Davenport Road. Theft (27 September 2010, 03:39)
Resident heard the suspects jump over the wall at the rear of the premises and spotted suspects stealing copper piping. Suspects fled and dropped copper piping on seeing the resident.
    
Cowlake, Temple Road. Theft (27 September 2010, 13:46)
Two suspects stole an aluminuim pole and fled into the bushes at the rear of the property.
    
Gillitts, Sandra Place. Theft out of Motor Vehicle (24 September 2010, 08:56)
Resident stated he had 2 attempted break-ins the last 2 nights. Nothing was stolen on the first evening when suspects attempted to gain entry indoors, but on the 2nd night, suspects broke into resident’s cream Toyota Venture parked in the yard and stole the car radio.

These guys just don’t give up.

SUCCESSES

La Lucia, Forest Drive. Housebreaking – Residential (23 September 2010, 07:55)
Entry gained by forcing open the storeroom door. Blue Security Reaction Officer spotted suspect on the property and was able to apprehend him.
    
Glenwood, Macdonald Road. Housebreaking - Residential (23 September 2010, 12:00)
Suspect entered via the pedestrian door and stole a camping chair from the porch. Complainant gave Blue Security Reaction Officer a description of the suspect and the direction in which the suspect fled. Blue Security Reaction Officer pursued and apprehended the suspect at the corner of Bath and Helen Joseph Road.

Ag shame…all that trouble for a camping chair.
    
Umgeni Park, cnr Brownsdift and Riverside Road. Theft (23 September 2010, 19:48)
Black female was robbed of her cellular phone and her purse by a black male wearing a blue jacket and shorts. Blue Security Reaction Officer gave chase and managed to apprehend the suspect.

Amanzimtoti, Tacoma Place. Attempted Theft (25 September 2010, 20:21)
Suspect jumped over the wall and gained entry onto the premises. Resident heard noises outside the premises and noticed the suspect on the premises. Complainant managed to apprehend the suspect. Suspect was in possession of complainant’s running shoes.

It’s a bit dangerous attempting to apprehend a criminal on your own, but well done to this gentleman who obviously “just did it”.

Attempted theft where nothing was confirmed stolen:

Berea, Berea Road (22 September 2010, 02:54)
Durban Central, Smith Street (23 September 2010, 03:03)
Durban Central, Smith Street (26 September 2010, 00:28)
Durban North, Monteith Place (28 September 2010, 03:11)
Hillary, Stella Road (27 September 2010, 00:19)
Kloof / Forest Hills, Hillbrow Road (23 September 2010, 07:16)
Kloof / Forest Hills, Dan Pienaar Road (26 September 2010, 14:39)
Morningside, Florida Road (23 September 2010, 03:36)
Morningside, Florida Road (23 September 2010, 05:37)
Morningside, Goble Road (24 September 2010, 00:58)
Morningside, 7th Avenue (25 September 2010, 10:51)
Morningside, Ridge Road (27 September 2010, 07:01)
Newlands West, Anfield close (27 September 2010, 23:22)
Pinetown, Kings Road (23 September 2010, 03:22)
Pinetown, Olivier Road (23 September 2010, 06:09)
Pinetown, Mason Road (25 September 2010, 19:28)
Prospecton, Jeffels Road (25 September 2010, 00:28)
Prospecton, Jeffels Road (25 September 2010, 11:16)
St Winifreds, Almond Road (25 September 2010, 07:28)
Westmead, Alexander Road (25 September 2010, 17:26)
Westville, Palmiet Drive (22 September 2010, 21:57)